Man whose left eye ‘melted’ in acid attack thanks placenta donor who helped him heal

A man whose left eye was “melted” during an acid attack has thanked the woman who donated her placenta, giving him the chance to recover his sight.

Paul Laskey dashed in to protect his son from being robbed at knifepoint when the attacker squirted him in the face with a corrosive substance, believed to be battery acid.

Laskey was taken to Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary after the attack in February 2023, where doctors found he had lost all sight in his left eye as the acid had gone through the inner and outer layers of his cornea.

Over the next eight months, the 43-year-old underwent two emergency transplants and three amniotic tissue grafts, made from donated placenta. This means that doctors can now move on to treatments that could restore his lost vision.

Laskey, a plumbing and heating engineer, said: “I was told from day one that it wasn’t about saving the sight, it was about saving the eye, and then we can work on that.”

He added: “I’m so thankful to the mother who chose to donate her placenta to help people like me who are at risk of losing their sight completely. It’s incredible to know that a new life can help so many people in such a profound way, using something that’s usually thrown away.”

Amnion grafts are lightweight, elastic and almost transparent sheets created by taking tissue from the inner lining of a placenta. They can heal damage to the surface of the eye while also providing anti-inflammatory benefits.

Prof Francisco Figueiredo, the consultant ophthalmologist at Newcastle Eye Centre who treated Laskey, said: “Amnion is widely used for a variety of ocular surface problems, and it is incredible to think that this is possible due to the generosity of a mother, donating the organ that she has grown to help grow her child. It really is remarkable.”

Each donated placenta can be used to make 50-100 amnion grafts, which can also be used to treat burns and other wounds.

Laskey’s assailant, Robbie Scott, had his sentence increased from 10 to 11 years last August after the case was referred to the court of appeal.

Laskey said his family was still reeling from the attack. “My son is getting there. He says he has a lot of guilt, but it’s not his fault,” he added.

Claire Price, the national retrieval manager at NHS Blood and Transplant tissue and eye services, said: “Amnion grafts are very special things indeed. They play a crucial role in the treatment to save the vision of those who have suffered accidents or injuries, as well as in some corneal transplants, which are life-changing for many.

“Paul’s story is a reminder of just how important donation of all types is, including blood, plasma, organ and stem cells.”

Laskey said doctors are “now talking about a stem cell transplant” to restore some vision to his left eye.