Lucy Mathen
Encyclopedia
Lucy Mathen is an India
n-born British
ophthalmologist
and former journalist
. Having initially worked for the BBC
, she retrained as a doctor and launched Second Sight – a non-profit organisation aimed at curing cataract
blindness
in India
.
Mathen began her career as a print journalist, working for the Surrey Mirror in the mid-1970s. She became the British Broadcasting Corporation's first ever female British Asian
to front a major national television programme in 1976 when she began working for John Craven's Newsround
(the BBC's children's news series). She was the programme's first dedicated reporter – others, such as the anchor John Craven, appeared in other presenting roles for the BBC. She worked on Newsround from 1976 to 1980.
During the making of a documentary on women in Afghanistan
in 1988, a conversation with a local doctor made her reconsider her journalistic role: "I suddenly felt like a bit of a fraud. That's when I vowed that if I were ever in a war zone again, I would be a medic and not a reporter". At the age of 36, she retrained as an opthalmologist at St. George's Hospital Medical School. After travelling to India in 1996, she saw the effects of cataracts in the poor rural north of the country and launched a non-profit organisation – Second Sight – in December 2000 to bring eye surgeons into the region. Since its launch, over 30,000 people have benefitted from cataract surgery
supported by Second Sight. She has written a book about her experiences called A Runaway Goat: Curing Blindness in Forgotten India.
Samira Ahmed
, a prominent British Asian newsreader for BBC World
and Channel 4
, has hailed Mathen as an inspiration for her career.
Mathen and her partner, Mark, have two children; Leyla and Calum. She enjoys playing football and has incorporated the encouragement of women's football in India as part of a programme discouraging child marriage
. She is also a keen runner
and completed the 2003 London Marathon
, raising money for Second Sight in the process.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n-born British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
ophthalmologist
Ophthalmology
Ophthalmology is the branch of medicine that deals with the anatomy, physiology and diseases of the eye. An ophthalmologist is a specialist in medical and surgical eye problems...
and former journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
. Having initially worked for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, she retrained as a doctor and launched Second Sight – a non-profit organisation aimed at curing cataract
Cataract
A cataract is a clouding that develops in the crystalline lens of the eye or in its envelope, varying in degree from slight to complete opacity and obstructing the passage of light...
blindness
Blindness
Blindness is the condition of lacking visual perception due to physiological or neurological factors.Various scales have been developed to describe the extent of vision loss and define blindness...
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
Mathen began her career as a print journalist, working for the Surrey Mirror in the mid-1970s. She became the British Broadcasting Corporation's first ever female British Asian
British Asian
British Asian is a term used to describe British citizens who descended from mainly South Asia, also known as South Asians in the United Kingdom...
to front a major national television programme in 1976 when she began working for John Craven's Newsround
Newsround
Newsround is a BBC children's news programme, which has run continuously since 4 April 1972, and was one of the world's first television news magazines aimed specifically at children...
(the BBC's children's news series). She was the programme's first dedicated reporter – others, such as the anchor John Craven, appeared in other presenting roles for the BBC. She worked on Newsround from 1976 to 1980.
During the making of a documentary on women in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
in 1988, a conversation with a local doctor made her reconsider her journalistic role: "I suddenly felt like a bit of a fraud. That's when I vowed that if I were ever in a war zone again, I would be a medic and not a reporter". At the age of 36, she retrained as an opthalmologist at St. George's Hospital Medical School. After travelling to India in 1996, she saw the effects of cataracts in the poor rural north of the country and launched a non-profit organisation – Second Sight – in December 2000 to bring eye surgeons into the region. Since its launch, over 30,000 people have benefitted from cataract surgery
Cataract surgery
Cataract surgery is the removal of the natural lens of the eye that has developed an opacification, which is referred to as a cataract. Metabolic changes of the crystalline lens fibers over time lead to the development of the cataract and loss of transparency, causing impairment or loss of vision...
supported by Second Sight. She has written a book about her experiences called A Runaway Goat: Curing Blindness in Forgotten India.
Samira Ahmed
Samira Ahmed
Samira Ahmed is a British freelance journalist, writer and broadcaster at the BBC, where she has presented Radio 4's PM, The World Tonight and Sunday. She also presented two Proms for BBC Four in 2011. Ahmed's writing has appeared in The Guardian, The Independent and on The Spectator magazine Arts...
, a prominent British Asian newsreader for BBC World
BBC World
BBC World News is the BBC's international news and current affairs television channel. It has the largest audience of any BBC channel in the world...
and Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
, has hailed Mathen as an inspiration for her career.
Mathen and her partner, Mark, have two children; Leyla and Calum. She enjoys playing football and has incorporated the encouragement of women's football in India as part of a programme discouraging child marriage
Child marriage
Child marriage and child betrothal customs occur in various times and places, whereby children are given in matrimony - before marriageable age as defined by the commentator and often before puberty. Today such customs are fairly widespread in parts of Africa, Asia, Oceania and South America: in...
. She is also a keen runner
Running
Running is a means of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. It is simply defined in athletics terms as a gait in which at regular points during the running cycle both feet are off the ground...
and completed the 2003 London Marathon
London Marathon
The London Marathon is one of the biggest running events in the world, and one of the five top world marathons that make up the World Marathon Majors competition, which has a $1 million prize purse. It has been held each spring in London since 1981. The race is currently sponsored by Virgin Money,...
, raising money for Second Sight in the process.