Joseph D. Walrath, Dr

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5.0

Oct 23, 2025

About a year and a half ago, my son was diagnosed with keratoconus. Keratoconus is a corneal disease that is progressive and can lead to severe vision loss if left untreated. He has Trisomy 21 also known as Down Syndrome and about 10% of people with T21 have keratoconus. As a mom and a fellow optometrist, I knew the importance or treating this promptly. Unfortunately, the only FDA approved treatment is something called Epithelium-off corneal collagen crosslinking. This procedure requires the top layer of his cornea to be removed for treatment and has a long and painful recovery especially for someone who may not understand why we are doing a procedure on him. After meeting with both Dr. Korotana and Dr. Jonathan Woolfson several times, we were at a stand-still with what to do. My son would not be able to handle the recovery for the FDA approved procedure. Lots of calls and prayers for a solution were placed. Finally, I got a call from Dr. Woolfson that changed everything! He had enrolled in a study for a new, less-invasive procedure called Epithelium-on crosslinking for a special population of people with T21. Both eyes could be done at the same time with minimal discomfort because the top corneal layer is left on! This was exactly what we had been praying for! Last Friday in a session that normally takes 1 to 1.5 hours, my son had both eyes done in a marathon 5-hour session. Maddie our technician and Dr. Woolfson were both amazing! They both talked to Jake in a manner that kept him calm and worked tirelessly to get the whole treatment done. I cannot express enough how grateful I am for their patience and perseverance to seeing his treatment all the way through. They saved my son's sight! As a mom of a special needs child, I cannot express how thankful I am for all that they have done for my family. We are eternally grateful!

Amy Jeffries, O.D.

Jeffries, O.D. Amy — google_place

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