Mum '˜desperate' to find ten-month-old daughter's special sunglasses

Loren Clark’s daughter Beatrix requires the special sunglasses to protect her eyes when she is outside as she was born with aniridia – a rare eye condition which means she is missing the iris in both eyes.

The sunglasses – which have a distinctive pink frame with the word ‘Miraflex’ written on an attached head strap – were designed for her at St Thomas’ Hospital, in London, in November 2017.

Loren, who lives in Harrow Lane, St Leonards, said: “We are desperate for them back.

“At the moment, if she is outside for a long time she is struggling, barely keeping her eyes open, and really squinting.

“She has been registered blind but she can see some things, so not everything is totally black. She can see things if they are close enough.

“There is a whole list of problems with her eyes but aniridia is the main one.”

Loren was walking with Beatrix on Wednesday, January 31, between 10 and 11am when the glasses were misplaced.

They started their walk in the new estate in Sedlescombe Gardens, in St Leonards. They then walked down Arbourvale, Celandine Drive, Gillsman’s Hill and Ironlatch Avenue before Loren noticed her daughter’s sunglasses were missing by the time they reached Stonehouse Drive.

Loren added: “We were by the high rise flats in Stonehouse Drive when I realised they were gone.

“I had been carrying Beatrix in a sling and, as she was leaning on my chest, I decided to take them off when we got to Arbourvale but I have no idea what I did with them after that.

“I got straight in my car and asked some workmen at Arbourvale but they said they hadn’t seen anything.

“I went back three times, back and forth, but couldn’t find them.

“There was a space of about 20 minutes at the most between losing them and tracing the route all the way back.

“I am sure someone must have picked them up.”

After losing the glasses, Loren appealed on Facebook to help find them.

The post received 500 shares and a gentleman even offered her some replacement glasses but Beatrix’s glasses have still not been found.

Loren is hoping somebody out there has seen them: “We have been in contact with St Thomas’ Hospital who said we would have to wait five weeks for a new pair of glasses.

“They have put us on hold for a couple of weeks to give us time to find them.

“I am hoping to get the glasses back. Someone who is not on Facebook may have them at home.”

If you think you have found Beatrix’s sunglasses, please contact [email protected].