Student optician follows in footsteps of mentor who saved grandmother’s life

Jacob is in the second year of an optometry course at university after beginning his career with the Specsavers store, where Sunny Boyal is the optician director.

Before he joined the Nottinghamshire store, Jacob’s grandmother, Marlene White, was diagnosed with a rare internal carotid cavernous fistula and had to have urgent hospital treatment to save the sight of her eye – and conceivably her life, if the condition had gone untreated for too long.

So, when it came to choosing a career, Jacob, now 26, was drawn to optometry partly because of the incident with his grandmother. ‘Saving people’s lives isn’t the kind of thing you do in most jobs and I thought if I could do that just once in my career, then I would be happy. And being able to do that for someone else after it was done for me and my family would be incredibly rewarding.’

Mrs White, 79, came into the store for a check-up after suffering from blurred vision and aching eyes. Optometrist Sunny noticed the white of her eye was inflamed with fluid, had a droopy eyelid and was turned inwards.

A cavernous carotid fistula happens when there is an abnormal connection between the carotid arteries and the veins just behind the eyes. This causes a build-up of blood pressure in the eye and can result in a loss of vision and, ultimately, a loss of sight in that eye.

‘I referred her to the hospital as an emergency and she had to have a long operation that same day,’ says Sunny. ‘I was later told the lead consultant had just retired and had come into the hospital to collect his personal belongings that day and was asked to assist with the operation.

‘Had he not been in the hospital, I believe Mrs White would not have been here today. Our urgent referral and the doctors at the hospital saved her life that day - she is a very lucky lady.’

When Jacob began his new job as an optical assistant at Specsavers Sutton-in-Ashfield, Sunny was on sabbatical, but when he returned, Jacob introduced himself and said: ‘You don’t know me, but you saved my grandmother’s life, and I wanted to say thank you for that.’

Jacob particularly discovered a love for the clinical side of the job, often asking the optometrists questions about scans and conditions they were dealing with. ‘I was especially fascinated by immunology and during my breaks would spend time reading up about it,’ says Jacob. ‘When Sunny noticed my interest, he suggested I should look into qualifying as an optician.’

Sunny adds: ‘It's quite unusual to see someone reading a heavy textbook on immunology. Jacob was totally invested in this book, curious as always. He completed the book within a week and was able to have a deep discussion about infections and the healing capability of the eye. This is what prompted us to plant the seeds about a career in optometry.’

Jacob is now in his second year at Bradford University doing just that. ‘My grandmother thinks it’s great that I’m doing this. She often popped by the store to see myself and the other staff when I was there.’

Sunny adds: ‘We will be supporting Jacob’s development, once he’s graduated, when he moves forward on to his pre-reg year. He will be a true asset to Specsavers and our community.’

Specsavers offers many different career opportunities in both the optical and audiology sides of the business. Employees are offered extensive training, helping them build skills, advance their careers and take on leadership roles.

‘We also engage in community support and social responsibility programmes,’ says Sunny. ‘For example, this year we are participating in charity walks for Macmillan Cancer and Crisis community homeless outreach support.’