NEW LOOK: Karina Dobbinga of Stoke receives a free make-over from makeup artist Toni McQuade after shedding the eye patch she’d worn for three years.

New look not the least bit patchy

By KIRAN CHUG – The Nelson Mail | Wednesday, 28 November 2007

After more than three years of being called a pirate by schoolchildren and being asked where her parrot is, Carina Dobbinga is poised to embrace life again without an eye patch.

The Stoke resident was diagnosed with an eye disease in March 2004, and experienced a difficult and drastic change in lifestyle as a result. But following a series of successful operations, topped off by a stroke of luck, Miss Dobbinga is celebrating being able to “rejoin the world again” in style. She was treated to a make-over by Nelson makeup artist Toni McQuade at her home on Tuesday, after winning a competition she entered while out walking in Richmond. Miss Dobbinga said she was initially unsure whether to accept the prize, but her confidence was renewed after she removed the patch she had worn for three years. The final result was fantastic, she said.

Acute thyroid eye disease caused Miss Dobbinga to suffer from double vision as her eyes bulged and her eyelids retracted. She had to stop driving, give up her job, and was put on an invalid’s benefit. Finding things to do with her time was difficult, but Miss Dobbinga started writing, found large-print books at the library, and relished the health and social benefits of walking. She also began doing volunteer work for a number of charities, helping with street appeals, and made new friends in the process. Miss Dobbinga said her treatment was now almost over and she would receive glasses within the next few weeks. Although the last three years had been trying, she said it had been a learning experience and she had been well looked after. Buoyed by her new image on Tuesday, she said she was looking forward to the scary but exciting challenge of beginning work again. She had worked in security at Port Nelson.