Thomas' Story

Thomas tells us about how his life has changed following a cornea transplant

I was diagnosed with Keratoconus when I was 15 - I'm now 26. It’s a condition where the cornea - the clear front part of your eye - thins and starts to bulge into a cone shape, distorting your vision. By the time it was caught, it had already progressed quite far. I had a cross-linking procedure to stop it from getting worse, and for years, I relied on contact lenses to help me see. They worked for a while, but eventually, I couldn’t manage with lenses alone. 

In 2020, I had my first corneal transplant. It was a big step, but unfortunately, healing didn’t go as planned, and I needed a second transplant about a year ago. At the moment, I’m still slowly having stitches removed, and I can’t see fully just yet - but I’m getting there. 

Despite everything, it’s been life-changing to begin to get my vision back. It’s something most people take for granted, but when you lose it, you realise just how precious it is. 

What’s really struck me is how few people even know that corneal transplants exist. When I talk to people about what I’ve been through, most are surprised - it’s just not something that’s talked about much. 

There’s currently a shortage of donor corneas, and the waiting lists are long. That’s one of the reasons I wanted to share my story. If even one person chooses to become a donor after hearing about my journey, that’s potentially someone else who gets a second chance like I did. 

I’ve been lucky to have amazing support along the way. I’ve been seeing the same doctor for over ten years, and the whole team are brilliant - so kind and professional. 

It’s easy to forget how much sight impacts every part of life, until it’s taken away. I’m still on the road to recovery, but every improvement feels like a step forward.