Help Recover From Eye Surgeries

Erin Martinez was born with glaucoma, a disease of the eye. When she was a child, her doctors told her that at some point, she would lose her vision for good. In her 20’s, a retinal detachment left her completely blind in her right eye. In the last few years, her vision in her left eye began to deteriorate, and she experienced another retinal detachment in her dominant eye. However- this time, she was able to get the care she needed and underwent emergency surgery to re-attach the retina and save her eye, and it was a success!

As she recovered, we learned something incredible. The glaucoma specialist treating her after surgery revealed that Erin’s eyesight was not beyond saving. Her increasing difficulties with vision were NOT glaucoma-related optical nerve damage, which is irreversible, but rather, a worsening cataract and corneal damage- a treatable condition. What’s more, between the time where she was told her eyesight was doomed and now, there have been incredible medical advancements in corneal transplants- what was previously considered impossible is now a routine and common surgery, with results that typically bring enormous quality of life improvements to the recipient. 

On October 8th, Erin will undergo a partial-thickness corneal transplant, which is the first step in a two-part process to save her eyesight. Her expected recovery will be about three months, after which they will assess her progress. There is a chance that the surgery will not take the first time, and it may need to be repeated. Once the corneal transplant takes, she will be approved for the next step, which is another surgery for removal of the cataract clouding her vision. Her doctors believe that not only will this reverse the worsening vision, but that she may have better vision than she ever has in her entire life, and in fact may be able to do things that were previously out of her reach. There is even a chance that she may be able to gain the depth of vision that will allow her to learn to drive- a formerly impossible dream.

Erin has a long recovery ahead. She is expected to be out of commission for six months, best case scenario. It could be up to a year. While she is recovering- she will be completely blind. While her eyesight is severely impaired already, there is an enormous gap between limited eyesight and none at all. Because of this, she will need round the clock care- without help, she will not be able to feed herself, clothe herself, take her meds, use her phone, get to the bathroom, get a drink of water… you get the idea. Luckily, her partner (me!) will be there- but our income will be essentially non-existent during this time because of this. 

During her last recovery period with blindness, it really became apparent to us both that it is not a situation where she can be alone for any real length of time- in addition to the practical issues, it is also psychologically taxing. She needs constant companionship and assistance due to the lack of stimulation- imagine being bed-bound without the ability to read, browse the web, use a cellphone, play games, or even put on a podcast, audiobook, or stream music by yourself. 

We are only asking for enough to cover living expenses while she recovers- she now has comprehensive insurance that will cover almost all of the surgery and incidental medication costs, and our combined monthly costs are modest. Our monthly expenses average out between $1,000-$1,200 a month, and that includes rent, utilities, groceries, and prescriptions.

Erin is a music teacher who has touched the lives of her students, children and adults alike. She is also a brilliant, multi-instrument musician and a music producer. She is the kind of person that makes friends with almost everyone she meets, from all walks of life, and her empathy, humor, and boundless friendly energy is well-known. 

Please consider donating, and sharing this GoFundMe. We are spending the last month before surgery doing our best to hustle, hustle, hustle- but come Oct 8th, we will only be able to focus on recovery.

If you made it this far- thank you for reading. Your help means so much to us.

-Seven & Erin