I need a cornea transplant or I may lose all my vision soon

Hello everyone,

In a matter of minutes, one's life can turn upside down. On a tragic afternoon in October of 2001, John Joseph (now 45), found himself a victim of a gunshot incident of which he had no connection to.

On that day, there was a breakout of gun violence among gang members & John was in the vicinity. In a twist of fate, after the firing of a gun, pellets entered John's eyes, causing irreversible damage to both eyes. Through the financial support of family, friends & concerned individuals, he was rushed to Trinidad & Tobago & then Cuba, to get the pellets out of his eyes through laser surgery, or he would have lost his life.

On December 8, 2021, he visited an ophthalmologist to determine his eligibility for a cornea transplant. Because of no light perception & a total corneal leucoma in the left eye, & neuropathy & retinal scarring in the right eye, his options are limited. A cornea transplant is necessary to alleviate any pain the eye. His condition is deteriorating steadily, despite two major eye surgeries. The ophthalmologist has determined that he has 10% vision left in his right eye & most likely will lose all his vision within 10-20 years.

The management of his remaining vision is dependent upon lifetime use of Alphagan & Timolol eyedrops. This condition has negatively impacted his ability to seek gainful employment, & he has become reliant on his mom who is past the age of retirement. Additionally, John is a severe epileptic and is required to take sodium valproate and barbiturates for life.

Due to his inability to gain adequate employment, he has been given residential notice and is facing possible homelessness. As a matter of urgency, John requires a small structure to house himself & a cornea transplant, as he will get older and his medical & health situation will likely worsen. He was given notice prior to the Covid-19 pandemic and is on borrowed time. Overall, this has been a life changing and devastating experience. John tries to stay positive and keep strong in his faith, but is a challenge at times.

Your financial support and prayers will ease the burden of stress and uncertainty on him and his family, and help provide some level of medical protection and shelter in the near future of more vulnerable senior years & inevitable total legal blindness. Also, we would appreciate if you share his story with your friends, family & wider communities. With a humble heart, we make a plea to you and and thank you for your prayers and donations. Thank you and God bless you.

I would be happy if you could use the [Help by sharing] button to share about my project!