KATHY GRIFFIN - KATHY GRIFFIN FIGHTING BLINDNESS

Brash comedienne KATHY GRIFFIN is fighting to save her sight after being struck down by a rare eye condition.

The American funnygirl, who is famous for her stand-up routines in which she pokes fun at Hollywood's top stars, has epithelial ingrowth in her right eye, which will render her blind unless she gets treatment.

Griffin tells US news show ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT on a programme to air this evening (11MAY05) that the condition became apparent after she underwent a third Lasik eye surgery to improve her sight.

The tearful comedienne insists she's only going public with her frightening condition because she wants others to hear her cautionary tale of what can happen after eye surgery.

She tells the show, "There is only one reason I'm coming to you guys and that's honestly to get the word out... I'm not getting anything out of this. I'm not getting any money.

"I'm not suing anybody; I'm not doing it for publicity; I'm only trying to tell my story, my opinions, my experience."

She also recalls the terrifying moment when she learned that she was going blind: "I lost it. I was sitting in his (the surgeon's) office crying, thinking, 'I'm going to lose my vision in my right eye."

Griffin, who already has a cloudy spot visible in her right eye, is set to undergo one more eye surgery in an effort to reverse her condition and save her sight, but she accepts there's a chance it won't work.

She adds, "I hope that maybe I can get my vision back, or maybe arrest it so it doesn't get any worse, but I really don't know."