News, views and top stories in your inbox. Don't miss our must-read newsletter Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

A driving instructor was forced to grab the wheel when the learner's eyeball EXPLODED during a driving lesson.

Pupil Liz Hodgkinson, 30, managed to keep steering before her instructor took over the controls.

She was then rushed to hospital where surgeons found her cornea had split.

They diagnosed a genetic condition and she has now had cornea transplants and 50 stitches in her eyes to try and cure it.

“It was painful, but I just thought I had something in my eye,” said Liz, from Abergele, north Wales.

Experts believe the degenerative disorder, which causes the front of the eyeball to thin and bend out of shape, affects between one in 500 and one in 2,000 people, but difficulties with diagnosis make it hard to give an accurate estimate.

The condition can cause distorted vision, including multiple images and streaking, as well as sensitivity to light, and is usually diagnosed in teenagers.

(Image: Mercury)

“I knew it could run in the family, so I was always aware of it, but I never realised my eye could actually burst,” explained Liz.

“My mum Sue suffered with the condition for 25 years, whereas for me, it happened out of the blue.”

After the driving lesson incident Liz said: “They patched me up but that was about it because there was nothing else they could do.

“Then a few years later I suffered the exact same problem when I was at home but only this time it was more severe as my eye was much weaker.

“I needed an eye transplant and was left with 25 stitches after being in surgery for more than three-and-a-half hours.

“Consultants told me it was the worst case they had ever seen.

“Then five months after that I suffered the exact same problem in my right eye and needed another transplant - it’s been an absolute nightmare.”

The first shocking attack happened in 2008 when Liz was driving along the A55 dual carriageway in north Wales with her instructor.

(Image: Mercury)

She did not suffer any further problems for four years but was left in agony in October 2012 when she woke up in pain when her left eye had completely burst.

Liz desperately needed surgery at Abergele Hospital and in March the following year she needed a second eye transplant after suffering the same problem with her right eye.

Keratoconus (KC) is a thinning disorder of the cornea that causes visual distortion and affects roughly one in 2,000 people.

The condition, which can also cause sensitivity to light and streaking in the eyes, is genetic - with both Liz’s mum and brother suffering from KC.

As a professional artist, Liz depends on her eyesight to earn a living and has had to adapt her style.

“I am not able to see as well as I could and to some extent, I have had to re-learn my techniques and adapt my style,” she said.

“I would not trust myself with portraits anymore because of the finer features of the faces.”