Social Media Handles:

Facebook: Vanessa Antolik Narducci
Instagram: Vanessa Antolik Narducci

Where are you from?

I was an Army kid, but my dad retired in Kansas, so that’s home.

Where do you live now?

Kentucky

Tell us a little about yourself:

I’ve been married to my husband for almost 14 years, but we’ve known each other since sixth grade. We have two pretty amazing adult children, and my husband owns a tree service.

We live in a small town about forty-five minutes outside Nashville with our three dogs—though, for anyone wondering, three dogs are definitely too many! I enjoy spending time with family and friends, reading, watching trash TV, listening to music, being outdoors, gardening, walking, biking, and going on the occasional thrift store or antique shop adventure.

What’s your eye story?

On January 3, 2022, I was assaulted by a client during a home visit and had to be life-flighted to Vanderbilt. The attack left me with lacerations on my face, head, and hands, and I was badly beaten. While doctors knew almost immediately that the vision in my left eye was unlikely to return, they saved my left globe for cosmetic purposes.

However, the eye continued to cause pain, which ultimately led to enucleation in July 2022. My surgeon gave me an excellent recommendation for an ocularist, and I began the prosthetic process soon after.

I joke that if you have to get attacked, being within helicopter distance of Vanderbilt is the way to go. The care I’ve received has been phenomenal.

What has been the most challenging mentally?

There is a lot of trauma surrounding the attack, and navigating the legal system has been incredibly difficult.

What has been the most challenging physically?

Initially, recovering from the surgeries and healing from the assault was the hardest part. Now, I deal with ongoing nerve pain on the left side of my face, issues with depth perception, and difficulty driving—especially at night, which I’ve stopped doing altogether.

Where are you now in your recovery?

I’m two years out from the attack and feel pretty good overall, but my life has changed significantly. I never returned to work, which has been an adjustment, and there are still many unknowns about what will happen next with my situation.

What advice would you give to someone going through their eye impairment journey?

Go to therapy, rely on your family and friends, and find a supportive community. Even if you’re not ready to share your story, seeing others who have been through similar experiences can give you hope that things will get better. It has also helped me to remember that this is just my hard right now—we all have to go through difficult things.

Who is your eye surgeon and ocularist?

Eye Surgeon: Dr. Louise Mawn at Vanderbilt University
Ocularist: Scott Fiscus, B.C.O. at Precision Ocular Prosthetics

How did you find EYEHESIVE?

My therapist, whom I met after my attack, suggested finding people on social media who were experiencing monocular vision. Seeing their journeys and how life could improve helped me so much.

Additional Reflections

• Photo (7/2022): After enucleation—white bandage covering my eye.

  

• Photo (1/2022): Post-op appointment—eye is badly bruised with tape across my nose.

  

• Photo (1/3/2022): One of the pictures from my attack.

  

• Photo: My three dogs sitting next to the Christmas tree—because I mentioned them, and they really are cute!