Sight is something many of us don’t fully appreciate—until it’s at risk of being taken away. In this powerful video, a Gift of Sight recipient shares what it means to regain vision and reclaim independence, gratitude, and hope. For patients facing vision loss, the impact reaches far beyond eyesight—it affects confidence, daily life, and the
Patient Vincent Elliott, 28 years old, could barely see to count fingers in front of his face when he came to Florida Eye Specialists. Elliott had lost his vision in both eyes to a hereditary condition called keratoconus. The only way to treat it is through a corneal transplant. Due to Elliott’s condition, he struggled
More than a dozen Jacksonville patients in need received the gift of sight this season. It was all thanks to our nonprofit Florida Eye Cares, in partnership with Sunbelt Anaesthesia, Southpoint Surgery Center, and the doctors who donated their time for the second year in a row. “There’s such a wonderful thing about giving the
Florida Eye Specialists is proud to fund pro-bono surgeries for vision-saving care through the Florida Eye Cares foundation. William Servance, a Jacksonville dad of two, received one of these free cataract surgeries when his insurance wouldn’t cover the cost. Dr. Ravi Patel performed the crucial surgery in October. Now, Severance says, he can see better
The collective hearts of our Jacksonville eye care community have been grieving recently, since losing a friend and colleague to suicide. He was a military veteran and experienced tremendous stress due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of us at Florida Eye Specialists knew him or knew of him, including Dr. Ravi Patel. Through Florida Eye
Florida Eye Specialists is fortunate to be able to give back to patients in need through pro bono surgeries funded by Florida Eye Cares. Marian Rogers has been fighting with glaucoma for decades. While doctors cannot reverse the vision loss in her eyes, Dr. Shetty performed a new technique with the XEN Gel Stent to
Florida Eye Cares, a nonprofit organization launched by Florida Eye Specialists, provides free vision screenings and eye surgeries to local patients in need. Dr. Ravi Patel discussed the nonprofit and the pro bono cataract surgery he performed for a local patient on First Coast News. Read the full story here.
Freeman Kelly, an adjunct professor from the Bahamas, traveled to Jacksonville to receive a life-changing cornea transplant eye surgery. The 71-year-old professor has suffered from glaucoma and cataracts for years. After undergoing three different eye surgeries, Kelly’s vision still suffered. His blurry and unfocused vision had made it impossible for him to walk or drive
A Jacksonville resident and local CNA was recently given the gift of sight after Dr. Rachana Patel removed two large white cataracts from both of her eyes. Prior to the surgery, Mrs. Tammy Pike had lost hope. Out of work for three years and unable to see her beautiful children and grandchild’s faces, she knew
The Florida Eye Cares team paid it forward this holiday season by donating 20 cataract surgeries to deserving patients in need. The first event of its kind had four doctors from the practice working for a total of 7 hours to restore the eyesight of Jacksonville locals. These patients didn’t qualify for Medicare or Medicaid
In partnership with the nonprofit organization Vision Is Priceless, Florida Eye Specialists’ non-profit organization called Florida Eye Cares is proud to bring free eye care clinics to the Jacksonville community. Dr. Kenzo Koike provided his services for the most recent event to help those in need. One patient, Ms. Luz Irizarry, had been negatively impacted
Catrina Sparrow, a St. Augustine mom of 4 and grandma of 3, was thrilled to receive a life-altering glaucoma surgery from Dr. Koike at Florida Eye Specialists. It all began last Christmas when she started having painful headaches. After losing sight in her left eye, she knew it was only a matter of time until
