We Bring Hope
Life Changing Stories of Real People
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.
