The Story of Neish Vazquez
Image Description: A woman getting her eyes checked by a doctor.
The Story of Neish Vazquez
A Gratis Ocular Tissue Recipient
Neish Vazquez is a daycare worker who enjoys drama, sketches, painting, and reading books. She started having discomfort in her right eye and one night, her eye would not open and felt heavy. She was experiencing sensitivity to light and was having difficulty driving. When she went to the hospital, she had to wear a cover over her face because the sunlight was so painful.

Neish had a corneal ulcer due to a bacterial infection related to her contact lens use. She went to Dr. Stacey Gorovoy, who was able to help clear up the infection in her eye. Unfortunately, the infection permanently damaged her cornea and Dr. Gorovoy determined that Neish needed a corneal transplant.
Image Description: Neish Vazquez sitting in her surgery gown wearing a mask with her doctor, Stacey Gorovoy and her nurses.
On February 25th, Neish had her transplant. Her eye is still healing, but she can see colors perfectly and when she drives, the oncoming headlights are not as disruptive for her vision. She is thrilled with how her eye looks and feels now that the injury has healed.

“Honestly… I’m really happy. To go to a state where I was before, to now – it’s life-changing.” – Neish Vazquez, Gratis Ocular Tissue Recipient

Neish is excited to go back to school and pursue a degree in nursing. She is also thrilled about diving back into her goals and hobbies. She feels a greater appreciation for her vision and has a new perspective on life.
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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 Neish? Make a gift to support the Lions Eye Institute Foundation.
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