Woman sees again after eight years of blindness

For eight years, 64-year-old Joycelyn Irons from Greenwood in St James was legally blind because she had cataract in both her eyes.

Irons told THE STAR that she had completely lost sight in her left eye and could barely see out her right eye.

“I had problems with my eyes for over eight years, but it just got worse during the later years. It just keep getting worse and worse,” she said.

But after a cataract removal surgery performed by doctors from Professional Eye Care under their partnership with US-based non-profit Mission of Sight, she is now able to see again.

“I did surgery on the ninth of this month, and they took the gap off the following day. When the surgeon removed the bandage from my eye, for the first time in a long time, I could see clearly. I could see the picture on the wall. I could see the writing on the wall. I could see the face of the surgeon. I could see the face of the nurses. For the first time in eight years, I could really really see bright colours,” she said.

Irons, who’s an ardent Christian, said she was encouraged to do the surgery by a church sister. And she believes the fact that she is now able to see is nothing short of a miracle.

“I began to worship God because I know that was a miracle. I am so happy today. I can see 99 per cent more than what I could see eight years ago,” she said, noting that she paid $75,000 for the surgery.

But to do the surgery, Irons said she had to overcome a lot of fears.

“I couldn’t see at all out of one eye, and then to know that I was going to do surgery on the other eye scared me,” she said

“A lot of persons said that when you have pressure in your eye, you can’t do surgery because they will make you blind. But the persons at Professional Eye Care they comfort me and gave me hope.”

After a successful surgery, Irons is encouraging persons who have cataract in their eyes to make the decision to do surgery.