Kelly's Story: An Eye Surgery That Will Touch Your Heart [VIDEO]

When Donna brought her sister, Kelly, to live with her, she was in a bad state. A victim of neglect and abuse by her caretakers, Kelly was malnourished, blind, and suffering from both untreated diabetes and a mental health illness.

With Donna's care and attention, plus Kelly's innate resilience, Kelly got healthy and stable. Medication, diet, and exercise brought her conditions under control. But one thing Donna couldn't fix was Kelly's blindness. So, she found someone who could. She brought Kelly to UVA Health for cataract surgery.

Donna picks up the story from there.

Kelly's Cataract Surgery, in Her Sister's Words

We scheduled Kelly’s surgery for November 12, 2024. Since we lived out of town, Kelly and I usually stayed up there. This day was no different. We had a special “sister” swim day and anticipated our journey together. Kelly didn’t seem nervous at all. I, on the other hand, was a wreck. 

She went into surgery and, within a very short amount of time, they told me she was in recovery and we wouldn’t know much more until the follow-up.

Cataract Surgery Brings Renewed Hope

On November 13^th at 10:15 a.m., we walked into Dr. Jun’s office, Kelly with a patch on her eye. We walked to the back, and when they took the patch off her eye and asked her to read the chart, my heart exploded.  She could see the chart. Not perfect, but that was ok…she still had some swelling and bruising, but she could see! As we left the hospital that day, I recorded a moment in history that will forever be a special part of our journey.  We went back to the hotel and she was eager to read and play solitaire on her iPad.

Thriving After Surgery

Today, Kelly is a rock star. She is thriving in her environment. She loves to do her hook rug, watch Little House on the Prairie, and color (inside the lines). Kelly made Dr. Jun a sand art unicorn. Unicorns are protective spiritual beings that bring healing energy. In my opinion, Dr. Jun is a true angel who not only helps little souls like Kelly, but his scope ranges wide, helping others on their journey.