Revolutionary eye gene therapy for children at Evelina

Evelina Hospital is steaming ahead with its revolutionary eye gene therapy for children with a rare form of blindness.

Specialists from Evelina London Children’s Hospital in Westminster Bridge Road, Lambeth, and neighbouring St Thomas’ Hospital, have teamed up to treat children with the genetic eye condition Leber Congenital Amaurosis-4 (LCA4), where people can only distinguish between light and dark.

Evelina London is the only hospital in the world carrying out the procedure.

Last year, Khadijah Chaudhry, three, from Hull, was the first patient at Evelina to have the ground-breaking therapy. Since Khadijah’s treatment, three other children have undergone the therapy at Evelina.

Neruban Kumaran, lead surgeon for the treatment at Evelina London, said: “We’re really pleased with how Khadijah’s surgeries went. 

“Her parents have already noticed an improvement in her vision which is very promising.”

Pictured top: Khadijah Chaudhry in Evelina London Hospital (Picture: Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust)