Healthy Vision Month 2008
Protective Eyewear

Using Protective Eyewear Can Save More Than Eyesight

In a split second, Christian O’Connell’s life changed forever due to a sports-related eye injury that might have been avoided if he had used protective eyewear.

“As Christian was running toward a ball that popped up in the air [during an unruly soccer game], one of the other team kicked it at eye level,” said Mr. O’Connell, “The ball traveled no more than three feet before it hit my son in his left eye with sickening impact.  Thus started a three-year odyssey in which he had seven major eye operations that have left him functionally blind in that eye.”

After the surgeries, there were sometimes daily visits to the eye doctor.  And, for almost four years, Christian had to go to the eye doctor every week.  The need for the follow-up care meant that Christian and his parents invested a lot of time travelling to and from his appointments.  Christian has lost so much time at school, he is still behind academically.

Coverage from the accident insurance policy held by the sports club ran out after two years.  From that point on, medical expenses have been paid out-of-pocket.  Five and a half years later, 17-year-old Christian still needs to see his eye care professional every six months—probably for the rest of his life.

Mr. O’Connell, who is in the eye care business, has been on a personal crusade to promote eye safety in sports.  He has spoken to numerous associations and parent groups.

“Parents think that our case is an isolated freak accident and that it could never happen to their child.  The kids themselves never give the possibility of injury a second thought and do not want to look geeky wearing protective eyewear.  The one question I always ask that sometimes gives them pause is: ‘How many eye injuries are too many?’  My answer is, ‘One.’”

The loss of vision in his left eye has required Christian to relearn many skills.  His efforts to light a candle for the first time after the accident, for example, were frustrating.  He could not get the match near the candle because of his loss of vision.

As a result of the accident, Christian has had multiple vitrectomies for retinal detachment.  This is a delicate operation where the fluid is drained out of the eye and surgical repairs are made.  He has also had a trebeculectomy for injury-induced glaucoma.  In this procedure, the surgeon drills a hole in the eye to relieve the pressure.

Other surgeries include a scleral buckle to stabilize the eye, removal of a cataract that had formed in the crystalline lens, and laser stitching to reduce the amount of fluid produced to help control the glaucoma.  The last operation was in February 2005, for another retinal detachment.  This occurred after Christian was hit in the eye again by a volleyball, probably because he had no peripheral vision to see the ball coming. 

Christian’s case is just one example of eye injuries that occur during sports with alarming frequency.  In fact, eye injuries are the leading cause of blindness in children in the United States and most of those occurring in school-aged children are sports-related.  Ninety percent of these injuries can be avoided with protective eyewear.¹  Christian is willing to tell his cautionary tale in the hopes that it will motivate parents to insist that their children use protective eyewear during sports.

Remember: there’s more to lose than the game.  Make sure your child gears up by using protective eyewear when playing sports.