A Bronx man’s chronic condition caused him to go blind until a team of doctors stepped in and saved his life in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic.

Doctors say it didn’t take long before Michael Chuck’s vision went completely dark due to his Type 2 Diabetes -- a diagnosis he received back in 2007. 

After multiple doctor visits, no one was confident that Chuck’s condition could be corrected. 

“To be honest with you, I was really depressed, I was so depressed, I lost hope,” said Chuck. 

This was until he was referred to the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai. 

“The surgery in terms of fixing the retina for a diabetic retinopathy with a bad detachment is probably something we do a few times a week here ... we remove scar tissue and essentially glue this paper-thin retina and put everything back into place and hope for the best in the healing process,” said Dr. Alexander Barash. 

Dr. Barash operated on Chuck over the summer and within three weeks, the scans revealed a new outlook. 

 “I was in the kitchen at my mom's house, and she was cooking, and I was staring through a door I remember, and I was like, 'Mom, I'm able to see you, I'm able to see you!'” said Chuck.

“When it gets to the level where he had it, the prognosis isn't great, about one in four get driving vision, which is 20/40 and to get to 20/25 is far less than that. I think it's probably in the single-digit percentages, so it's rare.”

They are now warning diabetics to schedule eye exams, so they don’t get to the point of needing surgery. 

Chuck is thanking the Mount Sinai team for giving him back the gift of sight.