A YOUNG woman who temporarily lost part of her sight after an operation has thanked a shop assistant for brightening her day after an upsetting shopping trip.

Rebecca Gallimore, 23, of Church End Lane, in Runwell, has a condition called Keratoconus, which affects the cornea in the eye and vision, but had an operation to take away some of the diseased part of her eye and replace it with new tissue.

The operation meant she struggled to see clearly during a recent shopping trip to Wickford.

But Miss Gallimore, who carried a white cane, was left upset after asking shop assistants in various shops for help.

She said: “People did say they would help me but you could tell they would rather be doing something else; it was like I was an inconvenience. I just felt like I was getting in people’s way, it was really upsetting.”

However, Louise Satchwell, a shop assistant in Savers in The Ladygate Centre managed to bring a smile back to Miss Gallimore’s face.

She said: “I was looking for shampoo but didn’t want to ask anyone for help again.

“She came along straight away and asked if she could help, grabbed a basket and spent ages talking me through what they had. It really made my day as she was the only person who showed some compassion.

“I just really wanted to thank her for helping me, it made a hard day better.”