We Bring Hope
Life Changing Stories of Real People
Trischa Hudson - “Amazing New Development”
Trischa received two artificial iris implants in an FDA Study which significantly improved her sight. Before surgery, Trish could only see objects that were three feet in front of her or closer. Since the procedures, her vision has improved to 20/150. Although not perfect, this is a significant improvement over her vision before either procedure. Dr. Price performed both of her surgeries. Dr. Price is the North American Medical Monitor for the FDA study for the artificial iris implant, and President of the Cornea Research Foundation of America. Hudson is currently studying law at Indiana University.
Trischa Hudson is a paralympic athlete competing in swimming. Born with aniridia, the absence of an iris, Hudson was legally blind. She also happens to be the most decorated Paralympian in the history of the games, winning 54 medals, 41 of them gold. She was also a 4-time All-American at the University of Nebraska and she was the first visually impaired athlete to earn a Division 1 scholarship.
The Surgery:
A patient without an iris has no way to naturally control the light entering the eye. It would be similar to coming out of a movie theater and being blinded by the sunlight. Dr. Price inserted an artificial iris with a lens into Trischa’s eye. Artificial irises come in a variety of colors as shown in the image to the right. The light entering her eye is now controlled, and the lens helps her to focus. The change in her appearance is remarkable. Trischa’s right eye now has a much more natural appearance.
Trischa’s Story in Her Own Words
Being able to live an active, fully productive and independent life became a reality for me last year. From the time I was six months old, I suffered with a rare condition in both eyes called aniridia, a term that refers to an incomplete formation of the iris. A dysfunctional gene that prematurely stops the eye from developing causes the condition. To get a sense of what it’s like, imagine how it feels when you’ve left a movie theatre after a few hours of sitting in the dark and then stepped into bright sunlight. It makes your eyes tear up and causes you to squint until your eyes adjust to the light. With aniridia, my eyes could not reduce the glare from any source of light and I was unable to see objects further than a few feet away from me. Without irises, I was unable to distinguish colors. Most significantly, my eyes did not have a natural appearance.
For many years, there were no remedies to restore my eyesight and my vision was progressively getting worse over time. That all changed dramatically when I happened to see a news segment with Dr. Price discussing a new FDA study involving a synthetic iris implant that could reduce the amount of light entering the eyes. The next day, I took a risk and called Dr. Price to inquire about the possibility of being a candidate for the study. Within a few months of this initial consultation, I had undergone a transformation from having no color in either eye to having a natural green iris implant placed in one eye. Three months later I had an artificial iris of the same color placed in the other eye.
Although the procedure effectively reduced the area of exposed pupil, the whole experience has been an “eye opener” for me. Now I can see objects with a crisp, clear vision and the colors of my world are vibrant and alive! For the first time in my life, my eyes have a natural appearance.
Being part of this amazing medical breakthrough, made possible by the Cornea Research Foundation of America, has been an inspiring, once-in-a-lifetime experience. Being provided with the gift of better sight, and having the benefits of sight that I did not have before, have been well worth the wait.
When I was asked to join the Board of Directors of the Foundation, I felt truly honored and did not have to think twice about answering with an enthusiastic “yes.” I am deeply grateful to be a part of an organization to help change peoples’ daily lives. It’s a very exciting and energizing mission to support and I know personally what a difference we are making.
