Maureen Cronin’s simple mistake with her contact lenses led to a serious eye infection, leaving her with severe vision loss.
One small mistake with her contact lenses left a woman battling severe vision loss and facing an uncertain future for her eyesight.
Contact lenses are widely used across the world, with millions of people relying on them daily.
Many may have unknowingly made the same mistake that led Maureen Cronin to develop a rare and dangerous infection.
Her life took a devastating turn in August last year when she had to be hospitalized at Stony Brook University Hospital in New York, USA.
At 53 years old, Maureen had to undergo a cornea transplant in September 2024.
Unfortunately, her body rejected the transplant, leaving her in a desperate situation.
She believes that the steroid drops prescribed to manage her pain ultimately triggered the development of glaucoma.
Because of this, she has now lost nearly all vision in her right eye.
She is currently waiting for another cornea transplant in the hope of regaining at least some of her sight.
The cause of her condition traces back to a seemingly harmless act—wearing her contact lenses while swimming in a pool.
Maureen, an experienced swimmer, started offering swimming lessons to young children in private backyard pools in June of last year.
However, after teaching seven students while wearing her contact lenses in the water, she noticed something was wrong with her right eye.
Having worn contact lenses for nearly two decades, she initially dismissed the irritation as a minor issue. It felt as if a grain of sand was stuck in her eye.
But as the discomfort turned into agonizing pain, she sought help from an eye doctor, who prescribed eye drops.
Unfortunately, the eye drops provided no relief. As the pain persisted, she underwent further examination and was eventually diagnosed with acanthamoeba keratitis (AK).
According to the Cleveland Clinic, AK is described as ‘a rare parasitic eye infection from a certain type of amoeba.’
The 53-year-old has almost lost all of her vision in her right eye
It progresses further: “It affects the cornea, the clear, dome-shaped front covering of your eye. When not treated, it can damage your eyes and cause loss of sight.”
Since her diagnosis, Maureen has made it her mission to raise awareness about AK.
She hopes to educate others about the dangers of wearing contact lenses around water, helping them avoid the life-changing consequences she has faced.
“I am hopeful but fearful at the same time [about the next cornea transplant]. I’m afraid it won’t take. It feels like it’s never ending and I’m nervous,” she expressed.
She began teaching kids how to swim last year
“AK is not well known and it is often misdiagnosed. I would say anyone who wears contact lenses shouldn’t wear them near any body of water.”
Maureen revealed: “I now have a fear of being near any kind of water. I shower with my goggles on.”
“My eye is cloudy because of the cataract and the pupil is large. It’s off putting because the pupil is so big and it looks cloudy.”
Maureen’s eye ended up clouding over
She further explained: “If you treat it early, you can kill the parasite and you don’t have to go through the hospital and surgery process.”
“I was not aware at all, I was never told by my optician to never wear them in water.”