Life science solutions keeps Ingrid from losing her sight
If it wasn’t for the life science industry and its ability to discover and bring forward new drugs, Getinge employee Göran Carlsson’s mother would’ve been fully blind: “Seeing the proof up so closely, of what our customers can accomplish with the help of our solutions is simply amazing.”
Losing sight is something that happened gradually to Ingrid Carlsson. She had been using glasses for her whole life, and about 20 years ago it got worse.
“I first got a blood clot in my right eye, followed by the left. Things started to take new shapes as I had difficulties distinguishing between concave and convex,” she says.
Ingrid sought care and was diagnosed with wet age-related macular degeneration (wAMD), a fairly common eye disease where problems with the retina blur the central vision. She was told there wasn’t much to do about it. Inch by inch, she lost more of her sight. Her son Göran Carlsson, who works at medtech company Getinge, encouraged her not to give up and to seek care yet again.
“Working in the medtech industry, providing solutions for life science customers who discover and produce drugs, I know how much progress there is in these fields, and I had heard about new treatments coming from the US,” he explains.
This time, the doctors gave Ingrid an injection that was new on the market. It wouldn’t cure the eye disease, but it could slow down the progress.
“Today, I have 20 percent left of my sight. Without the injections that I get every 6-8 weeks, I would have been completely blind,” says Ingrid.
It might not sound much, but it makes a big difference for her and her family that she sees anything at all.
“Thanks to the injections and my family, especially my husband, I can still have a functioning life. I am not saying it has been easy as I had to give up big passions such as knitting and other handicrafts. But the world will not stop because of this, and my stubbornness keeps me on my toes,” says Ingrid.
She feels that the other senses, such as sound and touch, kick in and compensates. She also experiences strong muscle memories; her body instantly knows where things are located in familiar environments although she cannot see them properly anymore.
Göran is grateful towards the life science industry that brings hope to patients worldwide.
“My mother can still do ordinary things such as cooking, eating and going shopping with my daughters. She uses her magnifying glass which enables her to still see images and colors to some extent,” says Göran.
Being part of providing solutions to the industry that has helped his mother so much, inspires Göran to go to work every day.
“Our tailor-made solutions make a difference by providing contamination free processes and adherence to the strictest compliance rules in pharmaceutical production. We also design and equip production facilities and research labs with solutions and workflows that are safe and guarantees integrity of scientific data,” he explains.
Ingrid is proud that her son is part of contributing to progressing healthcare, and grateful that he didn’t let her give up. The fact that her granddaughter Milly, Göran’s daughter, now also works at Getinge makes her equally delighted.
“Being able to still do things with my grandchildren means the world to me. In my condition, I also get to see the world through their eyes, and I see a lot of hope.”
Find out more about Getinge’s life science solutions >>
Contact:
Anna Appelqvist, Corporate Communications
Tel.: +46 (0)10-335 5906
E-mail: anna.appelqvist@getinge.com
About Getinge
With a firm belief that every person and community should have access to the best possible care, Getinge provides hospitals and life science institutions with products and solutions that aim to improve clinical results and optimize workflows. The offering includes products and solutions for intensive care, cardiovascular procedures, operating rooms, sterile reprocessing and life science. Getinge employs over 10,000 people worldwide and the products are sold in more than 135 countries.
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