The Story of Elma Delgado
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A woman getting her eyes checked by a doctor.
The Story of Elma Delgado
A Gratis Ocular Tissue Program Recipient
Elma Delgado is originally from Cuba, but immigrated to the United States where she worked at Collier County Public Schools for 17 years. Elma was suffering from Glaucoma and needed cataract surgery in her left eye. Unfortunately, complications from the surgery left her with an injured cornea, a damaged retina, and complete blindness in the affected eye. At the time, she was still working as a custodian for the school system, but it was very difficult for her. She even experienced restlessness at night because of the discomfort and stress of her injury.
Dr. Burch and Elma Delgado.
Later, Elma moved to Naples, Florida and began to see a new ophthalmologist who recommended a corneal transplant.

“I was very happy, but also afraid of having surgery again after what I had gone through. The doctor was very kind and a wonderful person, so I was at ease.” – Elma Delgado, Lions Eye Institute Gratis Tissue Recipient.

Elma had her corneal transplant surgery on October 28, 2020. Since then, her vision has started to recover. She can now see shapes and colors and can even read the letters during her eye exams and her vision will continue to improve as her eye heals.

“I feel very happy and so does my family. It is very sad not being able to see. Even though my vision is still slightly blurry in that eye, I thank God and my cornea donor… I sincerely thank them from my soul.”
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Are you interested in telling your story? Send an email to James at jrosa@lionseyeinstitute.org.
Do you want to support cornea transplants for people like Elma? Make a gift to support the Lions Eye Institute Foundation.
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