WTXF reporter Chris O’Connell wants to help others avoid what happened to him earlier this year.
O’Connell told People Magazine he woke up one morning in January with cloudy vision in his left eye. When it got worse eight weeks later, doctors found a blockage leading to his optic nerve. O’Connell had suffered a stroke that left him with permanent loss of vision in his left eye.
“It could have traveled to my brain and that would have been it,” said O’Connell. “I’m lucky I’m not dead.”
Now, during National Stroke Awareness Month, he wants to help others avoid what happened to him. He put together a report about his story that will air tonight at 10 p.m.
“I consider myself very grateful, so if I can help even one person, it’s worth it,” said the reporter for the Philadelphia Fox-owned station.
“I’m so glad to be alive and to be able to still see the family that I love and work at a job that I love,” he said. “I want to tell everyone that sudden vision loss is a sign of bigger health problems. If it happens to you, don’t wait. Your eyes are the windows to your world. Get it taken care of immediately.”