A 31-year-old Brooklyn patient has made a recovery after being declared legally blind and almost losing his life to diabetes. 

This is all thanks to the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai. 

“You start thinking you're an exception and that nothing is going to happen to you, and you never know what's going on underneath,” said Luis Riollano Crespo. 

Crespo has been dealing with issues with his vision for a few months. He says he saved up money to buy a new pair of glasses as he thought this was the root of his problem, but he was faced with an even bigger problem that when it came time for a checkup. 

“He said, 'No, you got big cataracts, and it's suspicious, we've never seen big cataracts like that in a young person,"” said Crespo. 

Crespo was diagnosed with diabetes in September. His sugar had skyrocketed to 465, which doctors say was the cause of cataracts. 

His vision was quickly fading, and doctors say they weren’t able to perform surgery with his dangerous condition. 

He tells News 12 his memory is what got him through the worst months. 

“I had to count every step, every block to go to the grocery store, and I had to remember where everything was even at home, 'cause if I misplaced something it was just lost,” said Crespo. 

He had his first eye surgery in December. Dr. Tommaso Vagaggini describes it as complicated. 

Vagaggini says the reason it was so complex is because Crespo’s eye lenses were under a lot of pressure and that this can open new complications if not performed well. 

“While it was a very, very challenging surgery, because of having to manage the lens under pressure and constantly dealing with the risk of the lens dislocating and falling to the back of the eye. We fortunately didn’t run into any of those vision complications,” said Vagaggini. 

Crespo underwent his last surgery last week and was a success with now almost 20/20 vision. 

He says he will be going to the doctor routinely and will be on top of his health moving forward.