All Stories

Before William P. Wright could apply for employment, he needed to renew his driver’s license. But he had just failed the vision test at the DMV. It was time to seek out an eye exam, without the benefit of health insurance.

The vision in Barbara Krupar’s left eye became pixilated and the light seemed to shimmer. It was painless and her vision returned to normal. Then it happened again.

Mark Rouse created a series of four paintings, each depicting the same mountain range, but at different points in Mark’s recovery, beginning when he was legally blind through the restoration of his sight.

Cyclist Heinz Richardson had troubles with his vision due to a rare eye condition. Thanks to ophthalmologist Seenu Hariprasad, MD, Richardson rejoins the ride of life with a reinvigorated purpose and mission.

When ophthalmologist Thomas Steinemann, MD, told Andrea Hope Rubin she should have four or five additional surgeries to save an eye that could no longer see, she pushed back. But Dr. Steinemann wasn’t ready to give up.

The packaging touted “luxury lenses,” not “prescription required.” Mamie Gaye brought them home, popped them in her eyes and a week later, she found herself in the emergency room.

Within weeks after suffering a gruesome fishing accident, 7-year-old Colton began to lose his vision. A hastily cast fishhook had so badly damaged his eye, that he needed a new cornea. Thanks to the generosity of a cornea donor and a talented ophthalmologist, Colton’s vision…

Creed Pettit has been slowly going blind since the day he was born. Creed has a rare genetic condition called Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA), and it makes it impossible for him to see except in bright light. But his parents had hope.

James Caffrey never let Down syndrome keep him on the sidelines. But rapidly progressing keratoconus threatened to rob him of all he had accomplished. After J. Bradley Randleman, MD, performed corneal collagen cross-linking, James' vision was saved, keeping him in the game.

Peggy Wellman was slowly going blind from glaucoma, even though she felt fine. By the time Dr. Singleton examined her, she had already lost 90 percent of her peripheral vision in one eye, and 80 percent in the other.

A split-second of contact during a high school game almost took the vision in one of Angellia's eyes when her retina detached. Surgical care by ophthalmologist Rahul N. Khurana, MD, saved Angellia's vision and got her back out on the basketball court.

Active 73-year-old David Hibler, Sr., saw ophthalmologist Michael Feilmeier, MD, due to rapid, unpredictable changes in his vision. He quickly learned he was at risk of suffering a major stroke.

Christine Chapman knew she was at risk of developing glaucoma. Her mother lost much of her vision to the eye disease. Through the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s EyeCare America program, Dr. Julia Song saved Christine's vision.

Nick Myers, a 15-year-old teenager underwent emergency treatment to save his life. An eye exam by Gene Gaddy, MD, leads to discovering acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Outgoing, boisterous, and always on the move, Jackson Allen is a 5-year-old with a sunny disposition who loves making people laugh. But if not for pediatric ophthalmologist Jane C. Edmond, MD, a chance accident might have cost Jackson his sight.

When Terry Byland lost his vision to retinitis pigmentosa, he thought he would never see again. Thanks to the work of ophthalmologist Dr. Mark Humayun, who co-created the Argus II retinal prostheses (a.k.a the "bionic eye"), Terry can see some shapes and movement. 

Stephanie Beaver Alder was born with a condition called herpes keratitis, a viral infection of the eye that has vision-threatening consequences.

Jamie Efurd noticed her daughter, Callie, holding objects close to her face and suspected something might be wrong with her vision. Her ophthalmologist diagnosed her with Marfan syndrome, a genetic condition that affects the eyes and the whole body.

After struggling with vision impairment since childhood, 53-year-old Michael Sargent discovered improved vision after a cataract surgery that changed his life.

Lorie Gordon had always worn spectacles. But in her 20s, her eyes worsened to the point where she couldn't read a prescription bottle or see details in her son's faces. The mother of two boys had keratoconus, a condition that created a cone-shaped bulge in her left eye.

Cyndi Daugherty, age 62, of Indianapolis has lived with type 1 diabetes since 1986. For many years her exams revealed no problems. But in 2011, Cyndi's eye exam revealed signs of diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema. Fortunately, her ophthalmologist was able to di…