Jovaughn Allen, a 33-year-old diabetic, is in a desperate race against time to save his left eye after losing sight in his right due to diabetic retinopathy. Facing the urgent need for a $1.7 million vitrectomy surgery, the unemployed father-to-be pleads for assistance to prevent total blindness and provide for his growing family. "I just need some help, please. Please help me save my sight," he implores.

‘Help me save my sight’

Young man pleads for help to fund $1.7m surgery to prevent him from going blind

Jamaica Gleaner/28 Dec 2024Sashana Small/ Staff Reporter 

TWO YEARS after losing sight in his right eye, Jovaughn Allen is urgently seeking help to preserve his left eye in a bid to avoid going totally blind.

The 33-year-old was diagnosed with diabetic retinopathy in 2022, a complication of his years-long struggle with type 2 diabetes. Diabetic retinopathy is caused by high blood sugar levels damaging the back of the eye.

Soon after his diagnosis and losing sight in the right eye, Allen, who worked as a pool technician in the United States, said he began receiving laser treatment in his left eye to prevent a similar occurrence. But a year later, he noticed that his left eye was getting blurry.

In a panic, he rushed to the doctor. “At that point, I only had one eye, which is the left eye, so I didn’t want to lose that eye,” he shared with The Gleaner.

“Unfortunately, the doctor explained that the same thing that happened to the right eye was happening in the left.”

After hearing this devastating news, Allen cut his work trip short to return to Jamaica, and started laser treatment on his left eye to prevent further vision loss, as he was struggling with severe vision impairment.

Unfortunately, in June this year, his doctor informed him that the laser treatment had become ineffective, and that he would need to do a vitrectomy surgery. This procedure removes some or all of the vitreous – a jelly-like substance that fills the middle of the eye – to treat issues with the retina and vitreous. This surgery is expected to cost approximately J$1.7 million.

Now unemployed and unable to find work due to his visual impairment, the newlywed, who is also expecting a child by next month, is in urgent need of assistance.

“At this point, even though I went overseas and I worked, all the money that I worked went right back into getting the laser treatment for the eye, the travelling, all of that. So I am at the point where I need as much assistance as possible so I can get this surgery to see if I can regain some of my vision,” he said.

The Stony Hill, St Andrew resident shared that he was first diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at the age of 12. Although he was aware of the chronic condition, he was puzzled about how he had developed it, as there was no family history of the disease.

“I didn’t take it serious. I didn’t take it serious,” he lamented.

“You are young, and yuh hear ‘bout diabetes, and yuh sey ‘a old people have dat’, so yuh no, yuh nuh pay it nuh mind. Yuh mind maybe wasn’t mature enough to know that you need to take care of this thing before this thing take care of you.”

‘VERY HARD TO WORK’

According to the latest data from the Ministry of Health & Wellness, over 230,000 Jamaicans were diagnosed with diabetes in 2017. Of that number, males aged 25 to 35 represented 5.3 per cent, while those in the 15 to 24 age group accounted for 1.5 per cent.

Allen admits that he was not consistent with taking his medication, and he was also not even very concerned about eating healthy.

At 26 years old, he started experiencing severe symptoms of the disease. And that’s when the gravity of the situation hit him.

“It was because of unawareness of the seriousness of the illness, the causes, what it leads to…all of that. I wasn’t thinking about the consequences of not taking my medication at that time,” he said.

“At that age, I would have been ashamed for my friends to even know that I am sick with that disease.”

When the seriousness of his condition finally sank in, he became better at managing the disease and now takes his medication religiously.

He credits the affordability of maintaining his treatment to the National Health Fund. Additionally, he told The Gleaner that his family’s support has been invaluable over the past few months.

“My wife was there with me right through to this day. It could have been worse but thank God for her and my family,” Allen said.

Unfortunately, they don’t have the resources to assist with paying for the close to $2 million surgery.

“I want to work, but the vision is not allowing me. For example, if I were to get a job, going to that job would be very hard,” said Allen, who studied computer science at The Mico University, but is yet to receive his degree because of financial challenges.

“Every day is a struggle and I am worried about providing for my growing family.”

He pleaded, “I just need some help, please. Please help me save my sight.”

 

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