Kirk's Eye Surgery

Recently my brother-in-law Kirk was diagnosed with Keratoconus in both of his eyes. This is a thinning disorder of the cornea in which the normally round, spherical shape of the cornea is distorted, and a cone-like bulge develops, resulting in visual impairment. 1 in approximately 750 Americans suffer from this condition. The exact cause of Keratoconus is still unknown.

Kirk got accepted into a clinical trial to have a surgery called Corneal Collagen Cross-Linking. This procedure will add “cross beams” to the cornea to make it more stable. It will help strengthen the cornea which will slow down the progression of Keratoconus. Since this surgery is in a clinical trial, their insurance will not cover any portion of it. The procedure alone costs $6,000 and then Kirk will have to be fitted for specific contact lens that will cost an additional $1,200-$1,500. Again, insurance will not cover this so Kirk and Jessica will have to pay everything out of pocket up front. They are wanting him to have this procedure within the next 2-3 months. Without this surgery, Kirk may have to have a cornel transplant later down the road.

Being a recently young married couple, they do not have an abundance of savings to pay up front for this necessary procedure. If you can donate anything at all, it would be greatly appreciated. If you aren't able to make a donation, please consider sharing this. Thank you.