Dr. Ravi Patel of Florida Eye Specialists recently performed a life-changing procedure for a young mother who needed a corneal transplant. Takeeya Woods, 30, was quickly losing her vision to keratoconus, a hereditary condition in which the clear tissue on the front of the eye bulges outward. Nearly blind, Woods couldn’t apply for the jobs she wanted. Worse, she struggled to care for her two sons while battling severe and constant pain in her eyes.
Woods woke up at age 11 with sudden vision loss due to her keratoconus. After years of misdiagnoses and continued vision loss, she was finally introduced to Dr. Patel.
“The day I walked into Dr. Patel’s office was a blessing,” Woods says. “After he let me know he wanted to donate his services, I cried all day and night. I’ve been dealing with this for so long.”
Woods is excited to be able to enjoy normal, everyday life with her family. “I’m looking forward to the day I can wake up and look at my kids,” she said. “Just to give them the attention they want, and read to them if they ask. It’s truly a blessing.”
Thanks to Dr. Patel’s passion for assisting those who need it most, Lions Eye Bank donated a cornea for this deserving patient, and the Surgery Center donated their fees as well. Woods is now recovering from the procedure. Dr. Patel is grateful he could play his part in saving her sight and changing her life.