A BLIND woman hopes an operation, which will involve making a hole in her eyelid, may mean she can see her children and grandchildren for the first time.

Judith Smith, 42, who has no left eye and almost no vision in her right eye, lost her sight when she was aged 15, after a rare reaction to medication for epilepsy.

The grandmother-of-four, of West Dyke Road, Redcar, east Cleveland, has been hoping since 2001 to have an operation to help her see, which would involve inserting a mechanism containing a shaving of her tooth into her eye.

But those plans have been continually delayed by recurring infections in her right eye, and her right eyelids had to be sealed up.

Now surgeons have decided to open up the eye, insert the mechanism, seal it again and make a hole or split in the eyelid, so she can see through.

It has given Judith - who is in touch with a Manchester man who was the first person to have the procedure - hope that she will see her family.

But the tooth shaving, which was put into Judith's left eye, so it can infuse tissue, may now be too old to be used, so the operation could be delayed once again.

Judith remains positive, however, and says she has had great support from family and friends.

"When things kept going wrong, I got very down," she said. "But they way I look at it now is that, if it works, fantastic, but if it doesn't, then life goes on."

If the operation goes ahead, it will be carried out at Sussex Eye Hospital, Brighton.