A lifeguard has tragically lost her sight and had to leave her job due to a common error with contact lenses that allowed parasites to invade her cornea, ultimately damaging her eye.

Maureen Cronin, 53, was giving private swimming lessons to children in their home pools in June 2024 while wearing her contact lenses, a practice she had done many times without any prior issues.

However, she soon experienced severe discomfort, describing it as if she had ‘a grain of sand’ lodged in her right eye.

As the discomfort intensified, Cronin decided to consult a local physician who prescribed her some eye drops.

Despite her worsening condition, she sought help from multiple professionals but was repeatedly misdiagnosed and given additional medications.

It wasn’t until Cronin saw a specialist a month later that she was diagnosed with acanthamoeba keratitis (AK), a severe parasitic infection of the eye.

Maureen Cronin, 53, a former communications executive, was left blinded and forced to quit her job after she wore contact lenses in water.

Cronin shared, ‘I was instructing kids in private pools. I wanted to teach them the joy of putting their faces in the water. As a lifeguard, I needed to be able to dive underwater quickly.’

‘I had my contacts in, and after removing my goggles to demonstrate how enjoyable it is to go underwater, my eye started bothering me almost immediately.’

‘Within two weeks, I consulted an eye doctor and was told I had a corneal laceration and received some eye drops.’

Acanthamoeba keratitis is caused by an amoeba, a one-celled organism found in fresh and saltwater, soil, and artificial water settings, including pools.

Wearing contact lenses while swimming, in a hot tub, or even during a shower can trap the amoeba between the lens and cornea, allowing the parasite to enter the eye through any scratches or abrasions on the cornea.

Initially, the condition affects the outer layer of the cornea and can worsen as the infection spreads deeper into the eye.

Cronin stated: ‘I had my contacts in and I would take my goggles off and show them how to go underwater and how fun it was. My eye started to bother me pretty quickly.’

After receiving her life-altering diagnosis, Cronin was admitted to Stony Brook University Hospital in New York on August 7, where she stayed for 48 days before undergoing a cornea transplant in September 2024.

The cornea is the clear, dome-shaped front layer of the eye, covering the iris and pupil.

During the transplant, the damaged area of her cornea was replaced with a healthy donor cornea using fine stitches.

Unfortunately, her body rejected the transplant.

Currently, she has nearly lost all vision in her right eye and is awaiting a second cornea transplant to regain some sight.

Disturbing images reveal her once vibrant blue eye now appears cloudy with an enlarged pupil due to the infection.

Reflecting on her diagnosis, Cronin expressed, ‘I am now blind in this eye, which is incredibly upsetting and isolating.’

‘Meeting new people causes me anxiety. I constantly worry about what others think when they see my eye. I’ve developed a fear of being near water, and I now shower with my goggles on.’

Following her initial transplant on September 23, doctors discovered ‘high levels of parasitic activity’ in her cornea that needed immediate removal.

As a result, she is now almost completely blind in her right eye and is waiting to undergo a second cornea transplant to restore some of her vision.

Cronin has worn contact lenses for nearly 20 years and claims she was never informed not to wear them while swimming.

Having worn contact lenses for close to two decades, Cronin feels she was never appropriately advised against wearing them in the pool.

Now, she is actively raising awareness about her acanthamoeba keratitis diagnosis to caution others against wearing lenses in or near water.

‘I am both hopeful and anxious about the next cornea transplant. I fear it may not be successful. It feels like a never-ending ordeal, and I am nervous.’

‘Acanthamoeba keratitis is not widely recognized and is frequently misdiagnosed. I strongly advise anyone who uses contact lenses to avoid wearing them near any water sources, including during rain.’