Those who knew Ryan Kingerski, 26, agreed that he was full of life.
“He was charismatic, loving, funny, and witty,” his mother, Stefanie Kingerski, said. “He was a police officer at Penn Hills, loved his job more than anything.”
Ryan Kingerski’s parents, twin brother, fiancée, coworkers, and neighborhood children all adored him. He loved them back and felt honored to serve and protect at Penn Hills.
“He often stated that he would do it for free. “He was very proud of it,” Stefanie Kingerski stated. Ryan Kingerski’s parents, Stefanie and Tim Kingerski, who miss him dearly, now feel compelled to reveal what happened on January 26. That was the day their son died by suicide.
It occurred barely five months after an elective surgery, which typically takes seconds to conduct.
“In twelve seconds. His procedure took only twelve seconds. That ripped his life away,” Tim Kingerski explained.
Ryan Kingerski underwent Lasik surgery in August 2024 at Lasik Plus in Pittsburgh. “He took his glasses off and handed it to me and said, ‘I won’t need these anymore,'” says Tim Kingerski.
Ryan Kingerski’s parents stated that things changed swiftly, and difficulties from the procedure began immediately.
“On the ride home, he kept saying, ‘Something’s wrong with my right eye,'” Tim Kingerski recalls. “I asked, ‘What do you mean?’ And he said, ‘It’s foggy. I can’t get out of it, and there’s an ache in my skull.
The agony and blurriness worsened, followed by the continuous migraines. Ryan Kingerski’s family stated that he was supposed to return to work in a few days, but was never able to.
Ryan Kingerski began sharing his tale this fall.
On November 18, he commented on social media about the side effects of his treatment, writing an unfavorable review for Lasik Plus.
“On Nov. 19, we got a letter from Lasik Plus saying that they would no longer see him as a patient,” Tim says. “All he wanted to do was go back to work and live a normal life,” Stefanie Kingerski explained.
“He agreed to have it because it was supposed to improve his life,” Tim Kingerski explained.
Dr. Morris Waxler was the former science manager for the FDA’s Lasik team. According to Waxler, Lasik numbers are misleading, and patients are not warned of the potentially dangerous complications.
“What are the major consequences? Irremediable pain, continual itching of the eye, inability to drive at night, and inability to see details. “These are not minor issues,” Waxler remarked.
Lasik Plus responded with a statement saying, “The safety and effectiveness of Lasik is established by a substantial body of peer-reviewed clinical evidence, more than 7,000 individual studies over the past 25 years. Lasik is a safe and effective corrective solution for those who meet the medical criteria.”
Because Lasik is not a possibility for everyone, the FDA advises doctors to do a complete evaluation of their patients to verify they are suitable candidates. The Kingerskis claim such is the case with their kid.
“He had left a note saying, ‘I can’t take it anymore. “Lasik did this to me,” Tim Kingerski stated.
Ryan Kingerski’s parents now want to utilize the tragedy to campaign and warn others.
“We shared Ryan’s story on Instagram. “We shared Ryan’s story on TikTok,” Tim Kingerski explained. “His tale has been viewed by seven million people, and many have contacted us to say, ‘I was thinking about it. “Now I am not.”
The Kingerskis, who are grieving and committed to fight for change, wish their son had taken the lead in this cause.
“He deserved better.” He should be here. “He should be telling the story,” Tim Kingerski stated.
Reference: Police officer dies by suicide after suffering complications from Lasik eye surgery, parents say
