Social Media:
Facebook Instagram @the_originaljustalex
Where do you live?
Leeds, England.
Tell us about yourself:
Hi, I am Alex. I am 32 years old and I live with my partner, Mark, and our amazing daughter, Scarlett, who will be turning 7 soon. We teach Ballroom and Latin dancers how to dance, as well as run dance competitions in England and across the world!
What’s your eye story?
On July 17th, 2021 I was unfortunately in a major accident. I fell 30ft from a balcony directly onto a concrete floor. As a result, I sustained multiple life-threatening injuries, including skull and facial fractures, such as a ruptured globe and a right zygomatic orbital complex fracture in which my entire eye socket shattered. Both of these injuries required facial reconstruction, which not only left me with a high number of metal plates in my face but also the loss of my right eye. I also suffered many internal injuries as well, such as a severed liver (cut completely in half) and revascularization of my right kidney (I received 4 weeks of dialysis after it failed). And finally, after 6 weeks of being in a coma, I developed multi-organ failure and had to be treated for sepsis, cerebral edema, and 3 blood clots that had developed. During my coma, there were times they were very close to losing me and I almost didn’t make it, twice. I am extremely lucky to be alive today.
On February 11th, 2022 I had surgery for the evisceration of my eye and the reconstruction of my eye socket with the fitting of a peek orbital implant. After some healing time, I was able to get my first prosthetic eye in July of 2022.
What has been the most challenging part mentally?
The fact I already had never really had much confidence in myself and my looks were only made more challenging with the loss of my eye. The one thing I always loved about myself was my eyes, and how people used to compliment them. So, I felt like I had lost a major part of myself, especially feeling like there would be no escaping the mirror every day. That being said, I do feel more comfortable with it now. I am grateful for the fact that it was only an eye as things could have turned out so much worse.
What has been the most challenging part physically?
Due to the amount of damage my eye sustained, it has been difficult to come to terms with the lack of movement I have today. However, I have had many physical struggles because of the complexity of most of my injuries. Learning to work with restricted eye movement has been a challenge, but so has having to relearn how to eat, walk and talk again.
Where are you at in your recovery today?
Currently, I have 3 prosthetic eyes. I have a hand-painted eye, a blue glitter eye, and a digitally printed eye! I am very lucky to be a part of a medical trial we have here where I live- they can digitally print eyes that are exact copies of your remaining eye! Personally, I prefer hand-painted eyes as I feel they have more life in them.
What advice would you give to someone going through their eye impairment journey?
Take each day as it comes and trust the process. It does require time and patience, but it will all work out in the end. And remember, you are not alone!
My Maxofacil surgeon is Dr.Parmer of Leeds Dental Institute.
I found Eyehesive on Instagram and I am so glad that I found this community.