LOSING an eye when you are 13-years-old can be a devastating experience but one teenager is making a remarkable recovery thanks to a special nurse.In fact, the nurse in question has such a place in the heart of brave Ed Coller that he and his family have nominated her for a top national award.

Will Clarke

LOSING an eye when you are 13-years-old can be a devastating experience but one teenager is making a remarkable recovery thanks to a special nurse.

In fact, the nurse in question has such a place in the heart of brave Ed Coller that he and his family have nominated her for a top national award.

The teenager lost his eye last September following a freak accident near the sports centre in Bury St Edmunds and although it has been a traumatic four-month ordeal since he suffered his horrific injuries, the youngster is making excellent progress, says his mother, Dawn.

She says the perfect way to thank specialist eye nurse Rachel Andrews for her dedicated work came when she and Ed heard about the Patient's Choice Award.

Mrs Andrews is one of only four nurses nominated for the accolade thanks to the powerful nomination from Ed and his mother.

The youngster needed four operations over four weeks to repair severe facial injuries, including surgery to remove his right eye.

Mrs Coller said: “Before the accident, Ed was a cheerful boy with a dry sense of humour; he loved school, had many friends and little troubled him.

“Today, four months later, he is exactly the same - he just has one less eye and some fading scars. His remarkable recovery, particularly psychologically, is due to the excellent care of all who treated him. And Rachel stands out even against such a background of excellence.

“For Ed, Rachel has been a source of great comfort, making his ordeal bearable and the hospital and clinic visits less frightening. Rachel does not leave her work and patients when she goes home - and that extra level of care made Ed feel really special.”

Mrs Andrews, who works at the Eye Treatment Unit at West Suffolk Hospital in Bury, said: “It is incredible to be nominated for this award - it is really humbling.

“Ed has been very, very brave. He is the first teenager I have treated with injuries like this in 15-years. But I think he will go to live a perfectly normal life despite his injury.

“He is a quiet boy but he has an inner strength, which will stand him in good stead.”

Ed, of Thetford, said of his nurse: “She's brilliant and she should definitely win overall. She was just there for me, explaining what was going on. I feel fine now and I can even pop my fake eye out at school now.”

The four nurse finalists were short-listed from scores of nominations by an expert panel of judges, chaired by a former health minister and Trustee of the Patients Association, Edwina Currie.

Now the public is invited to vote for the nurse who they believe most deserves the Nursing Standard Patient's Choice Award by phone or text - details of which can be found at www.patients-choice.co.uk

Voting closes on March 19 at 5pm.