Hi, my name is Eric. I’m 20 years old and I’ve been living with TSW (Topical Steroid Withdrawal) after being prescribed potent topical steroids for my childhood eczema. It's been over 5 years since I've used any steroid medication, but the long-term effects haven't ended. And last year, I was diagnosed with a steroid-induced cataract in my right eye.

Since my diagnosis, my vision in my right eye has declined rapidly. I used to only suffer from mild glare to lights but now all I can see out of my right eye are colours and shapes. In the photos of this campaign there's a graphic that illustrates cataract POVs at different stages - mine is like the 'very severe' photo.

Given the complexity and rarity of my case, and the fact that I am training to become a professional dancer, my ophthalmologist referred me to a private hospital in London. There, I was advised that a multifocal lens would give me the best possible long-term outcome for both daily life and movement, but this comes at a hefty cost which I need help to cover.

The estimated total cost of care is £6,500. This includes:

If I am fortunate enough to receive more than what is required for the surgery and immediate recovery, any additional money will go towards accessing private support for my TSW. TSW is still widely misunderstood and care under the NHS has unfortunately not helped me yet, so any extra funds will help me to discover treatment options which I have been unable to reach so far.

I have a reel pinned to my Instagram on @5itsricky about my TSW journey that I highly recommend watching for a fuller picture. I also have videos of my dancing on my Instagram if that is of interest.

-> https://www.instagram.com/5itsricky

To close off, I am incredibly grateful for any form of support, whether that is a donation or even just reading and sharing my story written on here/ my reel on Instagram. Thank you for taking the time to look at my fundraiser and thereby helping me take another step towards in my health and dance journey.

-Eric <3