Derek Justice’s Keratoconus Surgeries
Donation protected
Hello everyone!
For those of you that may not know me, my name is Derek Justice. I am reaching out to family, friends, or anyone willing to help raise money for four separate eye surgeries that I am desperately in need of in order to stop the progression of a rare corneal disease. In 2010 I was diagnosed with a degenerative eye disease called keratoconus which causes the eye to lose shape and start to bulge making it take on football or cone shape. As a result of the cornea changing shape it brings rays of light out of focus which leads to incredibly distorted and blurry vision, making simple tasks such as reading, writing, or driving very difficult and at times impossible. Since my diagnoses in 2010 I have gone from having 20/40 vision with mild astigmatisms & mild keratonconus in both eyes. Wearing only soft contact lenses or glasses to now being legally blind having 20/250 vision with progressive keratonconus in both eyes. I am now unable to wear normal contacts or glasses because they no longer are strong enough to correct my vision. With the keratoconus progressing at such a rapid rate the need for surgery is of the utmost importance to prevent permanent corneal damage, additional vision loss, and to stop the progression of the keratoconus. The surgeries needed, epithelial on corneal cross linking (CXL) & corneal keratoplasty (CK) are relatively new and are not FDA approved which means insurance will not cover any of the pre/post surgery costs. As you can imagine the surgery costs are through the roof which is why I am seeking your help. Lastly thank you to anyone that shares, donates, or even takes the time to read this!
For those of you that may not know me, my name is Derek Justice. I am reaching out to family, friends, or anyone willing to help raise money for four separate eye surgeries that I am desperately in need of in order to stop the progression of a rare corneal disease. In 2010 I was diagnosed with a degenerative eye disease called keratoconus which causes the eye to lose shape and start to bulge making it take on football or cone shape. As a result of the cornea changing shape it brings rays of light out of focus which leads to incredibly distorted and blurry vision, making simple tasks such as reading, writing, or driving very difficult and at times impossible. Since my diagnoses in 2010 I have gone from having 20/40 vision with mild astigmatisms & mild keratonconus in both eyes. Wearing only soft contact lenses or glasses to now being legally blind having 20/250 vision with progressive keratonconus in both eyes. I am now unable to wear normal contacts or glasses because they no longer are strong enough to correct my vision. With the keratoconus progressing at such a rapid rate the need for surgery is of the utmost importance to prevent permanent corneal damage, additional vision loss, and to stop the progression of the keratoconus. The surgeries needed, epithelial on corneal cross linking (CXL) & corneal keratoplasty (CK) are relatively new and are not FDA approved which means insurance will not cover any of the pre/post surgery costs. As you can imagine the surgery costs are through the roof which is why I am seeking your help. Lastly thank you to anyone that shares, donates, or even takes the time to read this!
Organizer
Derek Lee Justice
Organizer
Woodbridge, VA