Global News Podcast The Happy Pod: 'Life changing' treatment restored my daughter's vision
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May 9, 2026 
Rob Henderson, a consultant ophthalmic surgeon who performed the RPE65 gene therapy, explains the surgical procedure and outcomes. Lisa Samford, mother of six-year-old Safi, shares the family’s emotional journey and the dramatic changes in her daughter’s life. They discuss the treatment mechanics, recovery, and the new everyday possibilities opened by restored vision.
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Child Sees Again After One-Off Gene Therapy
- Six-year-old Safi regained almost all her vision after a one-off gene therapy at Great Ormond Street Hospital.
- Lisa Samford described Safi running down a dark path on Halloween shouting I can see, and the family were in floods of tears.
How RPE65 Gene Therapy Restores Vision
- The RPE65 ocular gene therapy delivers billions of viral particles carrying a healthy gene into retinal cells to restore light-to-signal conversion.
- Rob Henderson explains surgeons inject the solution into the back of the eye via tiny incisions so retinal cells can manufacture the missing protein.
Treatment Changed Daily Life For Safi
- Post-treatment Safi now attends after-school clubs, rides her bike and swims, with peripheral and night vision markedly improved.
- Lisa Samford said you wouldn't even know she has the condition and that the therapy has given their little girl her life back.