My eye had to be sewn shut after a parasite ate my cornea — the crucial mistake I made - New York Post

What the report says

The New York Post reported that Emma Marsden, a 47-year-old woman from Lancashire, England, may lose sight in her right eye after developing acanthamoeba keratitis, a rare infection that damaged her cornea. Marsden said the ordeal began in February after she fell while cleaning horse stables and landed in a wheelbarrow containing dirt and water. She washed mud from her face and hands but did not remove her contact lenses until later that evening.

According to the Post, Marsden’s eye began stinging four days later, and the pain intensified as her vision worsened. Doctors first treated her for an ulcer with prescription drops, but at a March follow-up they identified acanthamoeba keratitis. The infection is caused by a microscopic organism that can be found in tap water, soil and various bodies of water. Doctors told Marsden the infection likely started when she washed her face while still wearing contact lenses.

The Post, citing comments Marsden gave to The Sun, said the pain was worse than childbirth and forced her to stay in a dark room for weeks. After the parasite perforated her cornea, doctors sewed her right eyelid shut to help the area heal. She is being monitored weekly, uses frequent eye drops, and has been told she will eventually need a corneal transplant, though doctors must wait because of the infection.

The case matters as a warning for contact lens users. The Post noted that improper lens hygiene, water exposure, poor storage practices and sleeping in lenses can raise the risk of serious eye infections. Marsden said she still wears a lens in her left eye but wants others to understand how carefully contacts must be handled.