Mettursun Yasin (left) is a Uyghur man from northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. He received an artificial corneal transplantation with the help of the local government and the local committee of Communist Party of China (CPC). 

Mettursun Yasin, a 36-year old Uyghur man who has been blind for 30 years, recently regained sight after artificial corneal transplantation at the Eye Hospital of Shandong First Medical University in east China's Shandong Province.
“I'm so grateful to our Party and government, the hospital, and Mr. Shi, the director, for helping me regain my sight,” said Yasin happily on Dec. 24. He received the corneal transplantation on Dec.19. His eyesight has so far reached 0.5.
Both of Yasin's eyes got keratitis when he was 6 years old, which caused his eyesight to drop below 0.02, basically becoming a blind person. He had received conventional cornea transplantation for his right eye two times previously, but both failed to bring him to recovery after experiencing bodily rejection after the operations.
Over the past 30 years, since Yasin couldn't take care of himself, he missed his time for school education and aggravated the burdens on his family, which fell into poverty due to Yasin's illness.
Fortunately, Shi Weiyun, the director of the Eye Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, an individual that has been committed to the treatment of eye diseases for patients from regions inhabited by ethnic minorities, knew about the situation of Yasin and thought he may regain sight after going through the keratoprosthesis.
The artificial corneas transplanted into Yasin were independently developed by Chinese experts.
“Having been blind for so many years, I've completely lost hope of finding a cure. I thought I would never see the light again. When I learned that our country had developed our own artificial cornea, I felt hopeful again,” Yasin said excitedly.

Mettursun Yasin arrives in Jinan, the capital of east China's Shandong Province at 3 a.m. on Dec.18 in the company of Memeeli Atawulla (right), a leader of his village.

Photo shows Shi Weiyun conducting ophthalmologic examination for Mettursun Yasin.

Doctors of the Eye Hospital of Shandong First Medical University successfully perform the artificial cornea transplantation for Mettursun Yasin around 9 a.m. on Dec.19.

A photo taken on the morning of Dec.20 portrays doctors checking the situation of Yasin's recovery in his ward. He was able to see the people and things clearly after removing the gauze.

Yasin's eyesight rises to 0.25 the next day after his surgery. 

Members of the CPC committee of the Eye Hospital of Shandong First Medical University actively make donations to support Yasin's case.

Wang Ting, vice director of the Eye Hospital of Shandong First Medical University giving the financial donations to Yasin. 

Yasin gives raisins he brought from his hometown to doctors of the Eye Hospital of Shandong First Medical University to express his gratitude.