A sight-saving surgery could be under threat after a drop in donations.

Following a decrease in donations of eye tissue, Moorfields Eye Hospital – based at Northwick Park hospital - is launching a campaign to increase the numbers of people becoming donors after death.

In 2014, donated tissue helped Moorfields carry out 840 corneal transplants, glaucoma operations and crucial research but the hsopital has had a dramatic drop of almost 25 per cent in donations.

Called YES EYE CAN, the campaign will run from June 29 to July 3 and will focus on the stories of donors – such as Sheila Belcher from Northwood – and those who have had their sight restored.

For Mrs Belcher and her family, a family night out while on holiday in Sicily led to the discovery that her two sons had a genetic sight-affecting condition called retinitis pigmentosa, or RP.

Husband Peter Belcher said: “We had two sons and we decided to go for a drink at the hotel bar which was in the basement but the room was lit by ultra violet light.

“My eldest son John, 12, couldn’t see when we were in there and that was the start of our journey.”

The family visited many different hospitals before being referred to Moorfields, where doctors also ordered tests for wife and mother Sheila, discovering she too had been carrying the disease.

Mr Belcher said: “She wasn’t really affected throughout her life except for the last ten to 15 years when she began to walk into door posts or trip over things and we realised her peripheral vision was going.

“It was in the last year of her life she went blind.”

After diagnosis, Sheila immediately signed up to become a donor to help fund research into the condition.

He added: “Finding out that RP was a hereditary disease and that she had passed it onto our sons made Sheila decide she wanted to try and avoid that happening in the future to other people and she signed up to be a donor then.

“She thought it would help to donate her eyes for research and this wish I have carried out with the cooperation of the Moorfields Lions Eye Bank.”

As part of the campaign, Moorfields will host a web chat for the public on July 1 to ask questions on eye banking and corneal transplants and will also engage with hospices to arrange donations.

Corneal surgeon Romesh Angunawela said: “It is becoming more difficult to cope with the demand for corneal transplants and other sight-saving surgery at a time when our own eye bank stocks are diminishing – and accessing outside sources is becoming increasingly costly.

“We need to make a mark in the public’s consciousness now – and urgently – so that more people come forward as donors and we hope our campaign will do this for us."