After tests at the ophthalmology department at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, doctors discovered the invasive creature and quickly rushed Matthews into a treatment room where they shot two rounds of lasers into his eye before the worm was killed.
"I could see it from behind, moving, trying to dodge the laser,"
he told the Telegraph Herald.
Matthews’ body will absorb the worm remains, but he will unfortunately suffer permanent damage to his retina.
Matthews believes he either picked up the parasite on vacation in Mexico or from a raccoon roundworm he caught while turkey hunting.
As a big fan of Animal Planet, Matthews called the cable station and a camera crew came to Iowa to film a story about Matthews for the show Shape Shifters.
