Airanas Leonavicius, who lost his sight at 14 after a firework exploded near his face, has praised a leading eye surgeon for giving him back his vision and his hope. The incident, which happened in his native Lithuania, left him with bilateral blindness and severe retinal detachments.
After undergoing surgery with Mr Chien Wong at OCL Vision in London, Airanas, now 20, has regained his confidence and belief in the future. He described the moment he first saw a hand clearly again as "crazy" and said a "bunch of hope came back".
From Blindness to a New Outlook
Airanas said: "I had an incident when I was 14 years old where a firework exploded near my face that turned me fully blind. I had multiple surgeries in Lithuania and spent two to three months in hospitals there. Every doctor was saying that there's absolutely no hope and I should give up and just start learning how to live as a blind person."
He added: "It wasn't even being blind that was the biggest fear, it's losing hope. That's the worst thing that can happen to a human being. For a 14-year-old who turns blind, it's quite hard to realise what happened and the fact you ruined your life just because of a stupid firework. But then we found some hope."
Complex Surgery in London
That hope came when he was referred to OCL Vision in London, where Mr Wong carried out a series of complex operations, including retinal detachment surgeries. Airanas recalled: "I managed to see the majority of his hand properly for the first time, which was crazy to me because previously I couldn't see anything. It was like, 'Wow! I can see a hand'. I was so surprised, thinking, 'what just happened?'"
He now hopes to hear that his vision is stable and not worsening, and that in five to 10 years technology might help him see properly again. "Literally, OCL Vision gave me my vision - they helped me fight blindness. I'm very happy with what they offered," he said.
Expertise at the Right Time
Mr Wong, vitreoretinal consultant surgeon at OCL Vision, said: "Eye surgery is not always something we plan for, but sometimes it is unexpectedly necessary. What makes the difference is having access to the right expertise and care at the right time. That can be the difference between preventing lifelong blindness, or not."
He added: "I am delighted for Airanas with the results of surgeries. He went through an immensely traumatic injury as a teenager. We have given him back meaningful eyesight and hope, which he has used as an e-commerce entrepreneur. He is an incredibly inspiring, resilient young man. I hope he continues to enjoy his life that was so dramatically affected by the incident."
