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Brian Turner (Oaks Green Mount, Rastrick, United Kingdom)

Brian Turner, 74, of Oaks Green Mount, Rastrick, suffers from wet age-related macular degeneration in his left eye. He went blind in one eye after the NHS denied his request for the drug Avastin. The NHS told Turn and his family that treatment would only be offered if his second eye became affected and complete blindness was a risk. Turner has also learned that NHS coverage decisions of Avastin treatments is not universal across the United Kingdom, with some patients receiving treatment while other are denied because of the postal code them live in.

Turner’s granddaughters have taken his fight to expand access for macular degeneration drugs and treatment directly to the British government and NHS. His granddaughter, Debbie Atkinson, is a local news reporter and continues to push for equal treatment for all patients facing a similar situation.

• Heartbreak gift as family club together to save Brian’s eyesight” The Halifax Courier, By Suzanne Rutter (February 25, 2008) http://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/news/heartbreak-gift-from-A-family.3811174.jp
• “Caring family is Brian’s safety net,” The Halifax Courier (February 25, 2008) http://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/courier/Caring-family-is-Brian39s-safety.3811521.jp
• “Grandad told it’s too late to save eyesight after family raid savings to help” The Halifax Courier, By Suzanne Rutter (March 7, 2008) http://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/news/Grandad-told-it39s-too-late.3855725.jp
• “The petition to end the NHS postcode lottery of sight-saving drug Avastin” http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Avastin/