Allergan Ireland has announced its continued support of Fighting Blindness and of its work on behalf of the blind and visually impaired with a €30,000 donation to support Fighting Blindness’ RetCam Appeal, under its charitable Allergan International Foundation.
Allergan Westport also hosted a Patient Focus Day event during which, former Irish rugby international, Shane Byrne, and visually impaired Guinness record holder, Dr. Sinead Kane, shared their experiences of living with visual impairment. Allergan recently marked its 40th anniversary in Ireland and employs approximately 1,700 people across locations in Dublin, Westport and Knocknacarra.
Under the Allergan International Foundation, Allergan Ireland has awarded a €30,000 donation that will go towards Fighting Blindness’ fund for new Retina Camera (RetCam ) equipment for the neonatal unit at the National Maternity Hospital in Holles Street in Dublin. The new retina imaging equipment will allow continuity of effective scanning of premature babies and enable sight saving treatment of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP ).
Paul Coffey, vice president and managing director, Allergan Westport said: "We are delighted to be able to support the invaluable work of Fighting Blindness by contributing to the much-needed funds for such a worthy cause.
"Eye care is the cornerstone of our heritage as a company, and discovering and developing eyecare solutions represent a core part of Allergan’s product portfolio, as well as a key focus for our R&D pipeline to develop sight saving solutions of the future. We hope our contribution will help toward providing the necessary care and support for babies and families through this life changing equipment."
Kevin Whelan, chief executive officer, fighting blindness said: "We would like to extend our thanks to the Allergan team for their generous donation through the Allergan International Foundation. With the right equipment, retinopathy of prematurity (ROP ) is very treatable and blindness can be prevented. Through our fund-raising initiative for RetCam equipment, we strive to provide the much-needed support at what can often be a difficult time for families and ensure brighter futures for the 500 babies who are born prematurely each year."
