Grandmother of England footballer Lucy Bronze has sight restored following successful surgery

Gloria Stapylton, from Ponteland, now has her sights set on being there in person to watch her granddaughter and the triumphant England women’s team at Wembley later this year.

After having cataract surgery at another hospital in September 2020, Gloria expected to have her second eye operated on just a few months later.

But due to delays caused by the pandemic, she was advised the wait would be much longer – so Gloria opted for surgery at SpaMedica Gateshead instead.

“I went back to my optician a few months ago because I was really struggling,” says Gloria. “Reading was starting to become a problem. My eyes were definitely not focusing correctly together and kept going funny.

“My optician said the list for having my second eye operated on at the same hospital was now as long as your arm. I was asked if I wanted to go to SpaMedica instead and I said of course.

“It was all brilliant,” she continues. “Everything went really smoothly.”

Following her successful surgery, Gloria wants others in a similar situation to know that there’s no reason to be afraid.

She adds: “I just want to help people feel a bit easier about having cataract surgery. There’s really nothing to worry about.

“Three days on, I’ve been putting the drops in and I’m feeling really comfortable. The drops cause a bit of blurriness, but I’ve got glasses on and I can sit reading a magazine, which is marvellous.”

Gloria is hoping to see England take on the USA in October.

She said: “I did manage to get to a few of Lucy’s championship games – Brighton, Southampton and then the semi-final at Sheffield – but as I always say, you’ve got to be quite fit to be a fan!

"And for me at 86, with all those steps and getting on and off the tube, Wembley was just a bit too much, so I had to watch the Euros final at home on television.

“But my family has arranged this trip for later this year and they’ve managed to book a hotel practically next to the stadium so I think I can manage that and I’m really looking forward to it.”