Latest news with #blindness
News.com.au
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Stevie Wonder reveals truth about his eyesight during Cardiff show
He just called to say you're mistaken. Stevie Wonder addressed the longstanding rumour that he isn't actually blind during the Cardiff, Wales, stop on his Love, Light and Song UK tour. 'I must say to all of you, something that I was thinking, 'When did I want to let the world know this?' But I wanted to say it right now,' Wonder, 75, said as seen in an Instagram video from a concertgoer on July 10. 'You know there have been rumours about me seeing and all that? But seriously, you know the truth.' The musical legend then explained when he lost his sight. 'Truth is, shortly after my birth, I became blind,' Wonder continued. 'Now, that was a blessing because it's allowed me to see the world in the vision of truth, of sight. See people in the spirit of them, not how they look. Not what colour they are, but what colour is their spirit?' Over the years, many celebrities have made cracks about Wonder not really being blind. Anthony Anderson poked fun at the Grammy winner's condition while on 'The Late Show With Stephen Colbert' in 2016. 'What y'all don't know is, Stevie can see,' the actor, 54, said while sharing the story of how he challenged Wonder to a basketball game. 'It's just an act.' Three years later, Shaquille O'Neal claimed Wonder recognised him in an elevator. The basketball star, 53, told his Inside the NBA colleagues that he was in the lobby of his building when Wonder came over and said, 'What's up, Shaq?' '[He] presses the button. Get's off on his floor. Goes to his room. I went and called every person I knew and told them the story,' he recalled. 'He got on the elevator and was like, 'What's up, Shaq? How you doing, big dog?'' The Superstition musician, meanwhile, has been extremely open about his loss of vision. In 2024, he shared how his mum, Lula Mae Hardaway, struggled with the news at first. Despite her reaction, Wonder kept a positive outlook. 'I was born. Shortly after that, I'm blind,' he expressed in an episode of The Wonder of Stevie audiobook series. 'My mother went through the different things, and so my experience with that was deep.' Wonder noted that his mother, who died in 2006, would cry 'every night' after he was diagnosed. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer finally said to her, 'Mama, you shouldn't cry, you're making my head hurt.' 'And I said, 'Maybe God has something for me that's bigger than all this,'' Wonder recounted. 'History proved that true.' In 2004, he detailed his upbringing for O, The Oprah Magazine. 'She didn't bind me up. She wasn't like, 'Don't step there!' or 'Watch out, you'll fall!' She'd tell me to be careful, but I was going to do what I was going to do. She was just fast enough to catch me,' he said of his mother. 'She knew I had to learn — and the more she allowed me to do, the more she could let go. She saw that I'd developed what's called facial radar, meaning that I could hear the sound of objects around me. If you close your eyes and put your hands right in front of your face, then move your hands, you can actually hear the sound of the air bouncing off your hands.' The artist has also kept a great sense of humour regarding his disability. Wonder got candid on his friendship with Jamie Foxx while presenting the actor with the Ultimate Icon Award at the 2025 BET Awards. 'He hit me up because of his win — Academy Award — for Ray. And I said, 'You know Jamie, just because you play a blind man that don't mean that we're besties, OK?'' he joked at the time. Wonder went on to tease Foxx, 57, and his 'love for blind people.' The Isn't She Lovely singer has won 25 Grammy awards throughout his career. Wonder also took home an Oscar in 1984 for Best Original Song I Just Called to Say I Love You for the film The Woman in Red. The star has been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Songwriters Hall of Fame and Rhythm & Blues Music Hall of Fame. Wonder has been married three times. He previously was married to singer-songwriter Syreeta Wright from 1970 to 1972, and fashion designer Kai Millard Morris from 2001 to 2015. Wonder has been married to Tomeeka Robyn Bracy since 2017. He is also dad to nine kids. 'I give a lot of credit to the mothers of my children. They've raised the children well,' Wonder told Winfrey in 2004. 'But I'm not one of those fathers who just send money. I guide them as a father and talk to them as a friend. I always want my children to feel they can tell me anything.' In 2014, he'd go on to joke about his big family on The View, saying: 'I got, how many, 22 kids?'
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Stevie Wonder Has the Perfect Response to Wild Rumor He's Not Really Blind
Stevie Wonder had the perfect response to ongoing rumors that he is not actually blind. During a show for his Love, Light and Song U.K. tour in Cardiff, Wales, the singer poked fun at the wild speculation and addressed the crowd: 'I must say to all of you, something that I was thinking, 'When did I want to let the world know this?' But I wanted to say it right now. You know there have been rumors about me seeing and all that? But seriously, you know the truth.' More from Rolling Stone PJ Morton Is 'Re-Presenting' a Legendary Louisiana Studio for a New Generation Lauryn Hill Makes Appearance at Roberta Flack's Memorial, Performs Alongside Stevie Wonder How The Weeknd Returned - and More Backstage Grammys Secrets He continued: 'Truth is, shortly after my birth, I became blind. Now, that was a blessing because it's allowed me to see the world in the vision of truth, of sight. See people in the spirit of them, not how they look. Not what color they are, but what color is their spirit?' Wonder has kept things lighthearted when discussing his blindness. During a 2015 appearance on The Late Show With David Letterman, the musician listed a catalog of the best advantages of being blind including, 'You can act like you don't see nothing when you really do' and 'You can say you didn't see that when you did.' His optimism for life began early in his childhood. When discussing his journey with journalist Wesley Morris and Barack Obama in 2024 for The Wonder of Stevie podcast, Wonder said, 'I was born. Shortly after that, I'm blind. My mother went through the different things, and so my experience with that was deep.' The 25-time Grammy winner said his mother would cry 'every night,' and one time he told her: 'Mama, you shouldn't cry, you're making my head hurt.' 'And I said, 'Maybe God has something for me that's bigger than all this,'' recalled Wonder. 'History proved that true.' Best of Rolling Stone Sly and the Family Stone: 20 Essential Songs The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Stevie Wonder Has the Perfect Response to Wild Rumor He's Not Really Blind
Stevie Wonder had the perfect response to ongoing rumors that he is not actually blind. During a show for his Love, Light and Song U.K. tour in Cardiff, Wales, the singer poked fun at the wild speculation and addressed the crowd: 'I must say to all of you, something that I was thinking, 'When did I want to let the world know this?' But I wanted to say it right now. You know there have been rumors about me seeing and all that? But seriously, you know the truth.' More from Rolling Stone PJ Morton Is 'Re-Presenting' a Legendary Louisiana Studio for a New Generation Lauryn Hill Makes Appearance at Roberta Flack's Memorial, Performs Alongside Stevie Wonder How The Weeknd Returned - and More Backstage Grammys Secrets He continued: 'Truth is, shortly after my birth, I became blind. Now, that was a blessing because it's allowed me to see the world in the vision of truth, of sight. See people in the spirit of them, not how they look. Not what color they are, but what color is their spirit?' Wonder has kept things lighthearted when discussing his blindness. During a 2015 appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman, the musician listed a catalog of the best advantages of being blind including, 'You can act like you don't see nothing when you really do' and 'You can say you didn't see that when you did.' His optimism for life began early in his childhood. When discussing his journey with journalist Wesley Morris and Barack Obama in 2024 for The Wonder of Stevie podcast, Wonder said, 'I was born. Shortly after that, I'm blind. My mother went through the different things, and so my experience with that was deep.' The 25-time Grammy winner said his mother would cry 'every night' and one time he told her: 'Mama, you shouldn't cry, you're making my head hurt.' 'And I said, 'Maybe God has something for me that's bigger than all this,'' recalled Wonder, adding, 'History proved that true.' Best of Rolling Stone Sly and the Family Stone: 20 Essential Songs The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked
Malay Mail
14-07-2025
- Health
- Malay Mail
Made in Singapore cancer drug could help cure blindness, trial in country to start soon
SINGAPORE, July 14 — A drug developed for the treatment of cancer has showed promise in treating blindness. According to The Singapore Times, the drug PRL3-zumab was developed by the A*Star Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB) and was created as a broad-spectrum anti-cancer drug that could treat not one but multiple types of cancer. In a Singapore trial of the drug, patients with either wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) or diabetic retinopathy will receive a shot of the medicine intravenously. Globally, these two conditions are among the most common causes of loss of sight. How does it work? According to pre-clinical studies published in Nature Communications as PRL3-zumab reduced leakage from damaged blood vessels. Currently both Wet AMD and diabetic retinopathy are treated with periodic injections into the sclera or white part of the eye periodically to reduce leakage and abnormal growth in blood vessels. The intravenous method, according to the studies, led to an 86 per cent greater reduction in blood vessel leakage compared to injections. After being granted approval by Singapore's Health Sciences Authority on June 16, a safety trial is set to begin by late 2025 with more human trials following to test the drug's efficacy.
Daily Mail
13-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
I went blind in one eye because the NHS 'forgot' to offer me tests that could have saved my sight
When Matt Weale visited the optician, the worst thing he expected was to need new glasses. But, to his shock, his check-up revealed he was suffering from severe glaucoma – a common eye condition which can cause blindness, but often goes undetected until the damage has already been done. Despite more than a dozen procedures, the 54-year-old has been left almost completely blind in one eye – with life-changing consequences. Forced to quit his job as a travelling sales manager, Mr Weale has described being dizzy, constantly colliding with objects and even seeing things that aren't there as his brain struggles to compensate for his blurry eyesight. The father-of-four also believes much of the damage could have been prevented if, after diagnosis, he'd been offered tests on the pressure in his eyes, which would have flagged up his worsening condition. He said: 'Glaucoma has affected my life more than I ever imagined. I've lost approximately 85 per cent of the vision in my left eye. 'If I'd been monitored after I was diagnosed doctors could have picked up the deterioration and maybe started treatment earlier.' An ageing population means more Britons than ever are at risk of glaucoma, and experts now urge everyone – even people who don't need glasses – to have regular eye checks to improve early detection. More than half of High Street optometrists saw patients last year who had suffered permanent sight loss due to late detection or delays in treatment for glaucoma, according to new research. Dr Pete Hampson, clinical director of the Association of Optometrists, which carried out the research, said: 'It's frustrating that the NHS is overloaded as there 's so much more we could do to help people avoid devastating damage to their sight.' Glaucoma affects around 700,000 people in the UK, most of them aged over 50 or with a family history of the disease. The condition develops when the eye's drainage system becomes less efficient, causing fluid to build up and put pressure on the optic nerve – which transmits visual information to the brain. Over time, this pressure damages the nerve fibres, leading to progressive, irreversible vision loss – typically starting at the edges of the visual field and eventually narrowing to tunnel vision. While the condition is incurable, it can usually be managed using pressure-lowering eye drops, laser therapy or surgery. Dr Hampson said: 'Glaucoma is known as the 'silent thief of sight' because it's largely symptomless until it's quite advanced. 'Once the damage is done, it can't be reversed. But if caught early, it can be treated and controlled. 'That's why it's so important for everyone to have regular eye tests, even if they haven't noticed problems.' The father-of-four also believes much of the damage could have been prevented if, after diagnosis, he'd been offered tests on the pressure in his eyes, which would have flagged up his worsening condition Routine eye checks can detect glaucoma early, often using the 'puff of air' test – formally known as non-contact tonometry – which measures intraocular pressure. The test involves a gentle burst of air directed at the eye to assess how much the cornea flattens, allowing optometrists to estimate pressure inside the eye. For Mr Weale, who lives with his wife in Solihull, tests in 2020 found his right eye was fine – but the pressure in his left was very high. Immediately sent to the local eye hospital, he was given drops to lower the pressure, then told to expect an appointment in three months. But seven months later, despite chasing the appointment, Mr Weale still hadn't been seen. He said: 'My vision was getting worse. At the top left in my left eye, there were flickering black spots everywhere.' Eventually Mr Weale paid for a private check-up which revealed the pressure had not gone down but had, instead, continued to rise to dangerous levels. Doctors tried different medication – and at one stage he was using 30 eye-drops a day. He said: 'It was so complicated I needed a spreadsheet.' He later underwent laser treatment, firstly to improve drainage, then to reduce production of fluid in his eye. When the pressure stayed high he had an operation to create a new drainage channel and insert an extra drainage tube. Although his glaucoma is now stable, his vision is severely impaired. He said: 'My right eye's perfect, but my left is pixelated and blurred. A double vision effect makes the ground seem to move at a different speed to everything else, making me dizzy and seasick.' Although Mr Weale's diagnosis came during the chaos of the pandemic, NHS statistics show patients still face long waits. Of 59,000 people waiting for specialist eye care in December 2024, a third had waited longer than the official 18-week target. Dr Hampson said: 'If the system had worked better, Matt could have accessed pressure tests that would have shown the urgency of his condition, leading to quicker treatment.' In England, glaucoma is frequently detected by optometrists, but treatment and monitoring is in hospital clinics under specialist ophthalmologists. The Association of Optometrists is now demanding the NHS in England follow Scotland and Wales in allowing specially trained High Street optometrists to manage lower-risk glaucoma patients. Dr Hampson said: 'Hospital clinics are overloaded. There aren't enough appointments or ophthalmologists. 'We're not suggesting optometrists should manage every single glaucoma case, but they could see a large proportion – and it could really help ease the burden on the NHS.'
