The LEGOLAND Windsor Resort has given two London brothers with a rare eye condition, the experience of a lifetime after eyewear technology helped them to fully see its new Magical Forest attraction for the first time.
Lucca (14) and Sonny (11) Oxenham from Bromley suffer from a condition called Retinitis Pigmentosa which effects just 23,000 people in the UK. It causes central vision loss meaning they can only use their peripheral vision. The brothers, who have around 15-20% central vision remaining, are LEGO fans and were invited by LEGOLAND to be the first children in the UK to test life-enhancing eyewear devices created by eSight inside the Park’s new immersive walk-through attraction The Magical Forest in LEGO MYTHICA.
Daniella Zanelli, Lucca and Sonny’s Mother, said: “It was such an emotional moment for all of the family to watch Lucca and Sonny see LEGOLAND fully for the first time in their lives. They visited when they were younger, but this was a whole new experience and they loved meeting the creatures in the Magical Forest. As their mum, I’m so thankful that the eSight devices provided an opportunity for them to enjoy and experience things they love like any other teenage boy.”
Lucca and Sonny were born with the rare eye condition and are currently taking part in trials of the wearable eye device as part of eSight’s partnership with Royal Society for the Blind Children. It is hoped that in the future the devices will be widely available to help children with more than 20 eye conditions including macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and Stargardt disease.
Gregory Ogorek, COO and president of eSight International, said: “eSight is a life changing technology helping low vision people to enhance and improve daily life, impacting over 3,500 people around the world. We are excited to be partnering with LEGOLAND to provide Sonny and Lucca with a once in lifetime experience.”
Helen Bull, divisional director at LEGOLAND Windsor Resort, added: “We were thrilled to partner with eSight to welcome Lucca and Sonny to our new Magical Forest attraction for what was a life-changing experience for them and their family. We hope the brothers left feeling inspired by their visit and continue to make magical memories with their family thanks to this amazing new technology.”
