Putting Orbis UK in the frame

The founder of children’s eyewear brand Zoobug London, Dr Julie Diem Le (pictured), was given a guided tour of the new Flying Eye Hospital when it visited London’s Stansted Airport in March.

The brand supports the charity that runs the hospital, Orbis, which is dedicated to fighting blindness around the world.

More than six years in the making, the third-generation Flying Eye Hospital is the world’s only mobile ophthalmic teaching hospital on board an MD-10 aircraft.

The children’s eyewear brand has been working with Orbis since October 2014. Zoobug London supplies its ophthalmic frames and sunglasses for children who need access to quality eyewear and UV protective sunglasses, after undergoing eye surgery through Orbis.

For the first time, Dr Diem Le, who trained as an eye surgeon before establishing the eyewear brand, toured the plane, meeting staff and surgeons who treat adults and children around the world with preventable, treatable eye conditions.

Hundreds of experts were involved in combining the latest in avionics, hospital engineering, technology and clinical expertise to make the Flying Eye Hospital a reality.

It features a modular design, 3D technology and live broadcast capabilities that enable Orbis, with its global network called the Volunteer Faculty, to train more doctors, nurses and healthcare professionals, ultimately treating more people and restoring their sight.