Beloved actress Dame Judi Dench bravely opened up about her worsening eyesight amid her battle with macular degeneration.
Judi Dench Shares Update on Worsening Eyesight
The Academy Award winner, 90, shared an update with fans about her vision loss during a recent visit at the Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds, per The New Daily.
“I can’t see any more,” Dench said. “When I go to the theatre, I can’t see. Hopeless.”
She went on to say that in order to support friend Dame Celia Imrie on the BBC’s “Celebrity Traitors,” she needs someone to tell her “what was happening.”
Judi Dench Suffers From Macular Degeneration
Dench first revealed her macular degeneration diagnosis in 2012, during an interview with Daily Mirror.
“I can’t read scripts any more,” she said at the time. “Somebody comes and reads them to me, like telling me a story. It’s usually my daughter or my agent or a friend, and actually, I like that, because I sit there and imagine the story in my mind. I’ve got what my ma had, macular degeneration, which you get when you get old.”
She later explained that she cannot go anywhere by herself anymore, which she considers an upside to her diagnosis.
“I’m always nervous before going to something. I have no idea why. I’m not good at that at all. Not at all. Nor would I be now. And fortunately, I don’t have to be now because I pretend to have no eyesight,” she told Trinny Woodall on her “Fearless” podcast in January. “Somebody will always be with me. I have to now because I can’t see and I will walk into something or fall over.”
What Is Macular Degeneration?
According to the Cleveland Clinic, “macular degeneration is an eye disease that affects central vision.”
The clinic’s website explains that the disease affects a person’s ability to “see things directly in front of them,” adding that the condition is most commonly found in people over the age of 50.
“Macular degeneration affects your macula, the central part of your retina. Your retina is in the back of your eye and controls central vision. People with macular degeneration aren’t completely blind. Their peripheral vision (ability to see things off to the sides) is fine,” the clinic continues.
The “Skyfall” star called her diagnosis “one of the most traumatic moments” of her life, during a 2019 conversation with the Radio Times.
“It was absolutely appalling,” she said. “But I just know I’ll kill somebody if I get behind the wheel of a car now.”
Such a spectacularly talented actress that has entertained millions for decades, it’s one of life’s most difficult challenges: yet she is very strong and resilient in how she deals with it. We should all be that strong! She has been a blessing for so many of us to enjoy, let us now offer her our personal and sincere blessings for this challenging new chapter in her life. God bless you!
Our Mom had MD-age related.
She lived with it for nearly twenty years. I praised her for recognizing
her inability to drive early on. She would tilt her head or half-turn to get a peek at a great-grandchild. It caused her much frustration, as can be imagined. These beautiful women, and so sad that this should rob them of their sight.
I love this wonderful lady. I watched every episode of As Time Goes By. She was so funny on that show. I wish her all the best and many thanks for all her wonderful performances. One is certainly better than the other. ❤️❤️
There are videos on Youtube about how to help vision. No: gluten/dairy/soy/sugar/GMO corn, soy, canola oil may help. Vit D3/sunlight may help gluten issues. Zn/Mg/Vit C/lutein/krill oil/bilberry/4 Sight by Orthomolecular and more may help.
My mom was diagnosed in her 40s. She is 85 now and the one that was shown to be pulling strength from other is the worse one now. She is powering the best she can with prayers and family support. She ne her drove so that wasn’t an extra frustration for her.