Look For Life Foundation – Background

Genetic Eye Foundation (GEF):

After many years of research and clinical work helping patients with retinal dystrophies and other genetic conditions, in 1979 Dr Frank Halliday OA formed the GEF and appointed a small board of directors including the writer who joined in about 1983.

He conducted clinics in the old army huts which were then part of Prince of Wales Hospital (POWH) and then at South Sydney Hospital in Alexandria. He created and maintained a database of patients and their families with he-reditary eye disorders and followed their progress over the years while providing counselling to those affect-ed.

For this work he was awarded the Or-der of Australia.

The current chairman of the board is Professor Minas Coroneo AO, the Pro-fessor of Ophthalmology at UNSW and POWH.

Australia Day 2016 Professor Minas Coroneo was appointed a Member in the General Division of the Order of Australia (AO).

Professor Coroneo was recognised for his distinguished service to ophthal-mology, research and development of innovative surgical technologies and devices, and commitment to eye health in regional and indigenous com-munities.

Look for Life Foundation (LFLF):

The change of name of the foundation occurred in 2016 to update and revitalise the organisation and to en-courage greater involvement with GEF members and the optical and ophthal-mic communities. Junior members have been appointed and some senior members have voluntarily retired.

A new LFLF website has been created and new research projects have com-menced. Various fundraising ideas are under consideration and the founda-tion has booked a space at ODMA2017 – we are grateful to ODMA for provid-ing the booth space at no cost to our organisation. Attendance at ODMA-2017 will expose the LFLF to a wide variety of optometric and ophthalmic practitioners who, it is hoped, will sup-port the foundation.

Charter:

The Look for Life Foundation is a not for profit organisation whose mission is:-

• To assist, counsel, advise and educate the visually impaired, in particular those with hereditary eye conditions and their families.

• To conduct and support reearch in order to understand these disorders and to create solutions to assist, in various ways, those affected.

• To help where possible to pre-serve vision and to provide assistance in understanding and living with ge-netic visual handicap.

• To educate and encourage health professionals and the public at large in the importance of assisting the foundation in order to help those affected.

• To work with other organisa-tions to coordinate assistance pro-grams.

The new LFLF board consists of oph-thalmologists, optometrists, people with genetic eye conditions and con-cerned individuals who all provide their valuable time free of charge to this important charity.

We are looking for your support.

Richard Grills,

Director Look for Life Foundation