Julie was diagnosed with Pellucid Marginal Degeneration, a rare eye condition that causes vision to deteriorate. 

“You can’t really understand what it’s like to lose your sight until you go through it. It’s been one of the most heartbreaking experiences of my life.”

-Julie Beavuais, patient at Kensington Eye Institute

Sixteen years ago, Julie Beauvais got some hard-hitting news. Diagnosed with Pellucid Marginal Degeneration, a very rare eye condition that causes vision to deteriorate, Julie’s cornea was actually shifting and tearing. Simply put, Julie was going blind. At the time, there was only one option to stop the degeneration in her eyes, Corneal cross-linking surgery, but back then it cost $10,000. As a single mother of two, Julie chose the cost of caring for her children over saving her sight.

Julie became the first patient at the Kensington Eye Institute to receive a customized prosthetic device modeled on the shape of her eye. Prosthetic Replacement of the Ocular Surface System (PROSE) therapy for the first time is now available in Ontario at the Kensington Eye Institute. Becoming the first site in the country to offer PROSE was no easy feat. 

“When I put in the lens, I immediately started to cry. I could see my children. I could see the stars at night.” - Julie

Give independence back to people just like Julie. Become a donor today.