What Eye Condition Does Stephen Nedoroscik Have? The Pommel Horse Hero’s Glasses Explained

Stephen Nedoroscik helped nan U.S. men’s gymnastics squad triumph their first Olympic badge successful 16 years erstwhile he nailed his pommel equine routine astatine nan Paris Olympics. Since then, Stephen’s gone viral for his adorable mannerisms, but it’s led fans to wonderment astir nan oculus information that requires him to deterioration glasses.

What Eye Condition Does Stephen Nedoroscik Have?

Stephen has an oculus information called strabismus, nan aesculapian word for being cross-eyed. However, it doesn’t ever impact some eyes and tin sometimes only origin 1 oculus to beryllium misaligned. The information tin beryllium treated pinch “glasses, patching, oculus exercises, medicine aliases surgery,” according to The Cleveland Clinic.

Stephen besides has a information called coloboma, which he’s talked astir successful erstwhile TikTok videos. Coloboma is simply a familial information that occurs erstwhile immoderate of nan insubstantial that makes up nan oculus is missing astatine birth. However, location are different types of coloboma and it depends connected which portion of nan oculus is missing tissue.

What Has Stephen Nedoroscik Said About Having Strabismus?

In August 2022, Stephen posted a TikTok video asking for thief uncovering much accusation astir his oculus condition. In nan clip, he explained that he’s “cross-eyed” and tin “switch [his] ascendant oculus connected bid pinch some eyes open.” Stephen past went connected to show viewers really he could move backmost and distant pinch his eyes open.

A celebrated expert connected nan societal media app had nan answers to nan pommel equine hero’s questions. William E. Flanary, who goes by Dr. Glaucomflecken connected societal media, is an ophthalmologist and said that Stephen is “farsighted” and has a information called “strabismus, specifically esotropia.” This causes 1 oculus aliases some eyes to move inward.

“This is simply a communal shape of strabismus we spot successful young kids, sometimes arsenic early arsenic 6 months of age,” Dr. Glaucomflecken said successful a TikTok video posted connected July 30, 2024. “Basically, because of nan farsightedness, his eyes are moving truthful difficult to attraction that they extremity up turning in. Fortunately, glasses tin do a awesome occupation of making nan eyes straight.”

The oculus doc added that he would conjecture that Stephen was “in a brace of glasses from a very early age.”

“He besides has alternating fixation,” Dr. Glaucomflecken continued. “He tin fixate pinch either oculus arsenic he demonstrated successful nan video, and this is really beautiful fortunate. Some kids pinch esotropia person 1 oculus that they conscionable hide about. They conscionable attraction pinch possibly their near oculus aliases their correct oculus and they conscionable disregard nan different oculus and past that oculus doesn’t create normal vision. But, he spent his puerility years alternating his fixation, which immoderate kids do. So, he’ll fixate pinch his correct oculus and past fixate pinch nan near oculus and conscionable spell backmost and forth.”

Dr. Glaucomflecken said that Stephen alternating betwixt eyes allowed him to “develop normal imagination successful each oculus separately.” He besides guessed that Stephen didn’t person awesome “stereo vision,” which intends that his eyes apt don’t activity together simultaneously.

Stephen Nedoroscik Inspires Young Fans With His Eye Condition

After nan photograph of Stephen resting calmly connected nan sidelines while wearing his glasses went viral, viewers who suffer from nan information arsenic good were inspired. On July 30, 2024, GymUSA posted a photo of nan gymnast pinch a boy who had been diagnosed pinch nan aforesaid condition.

Dr. Glaucomflecken besides praised Stephen for raising consciousness for glasses-wearers astir nan world.

“Just seeing personification for illustration him connected specified a immense stage, winning an Olympic badge and unabashedly wearing his glasses…does a batch for making it normal,” nan ophthalmologist told Time.