Going under the knife can be nerve racking for anyone, but for one 26-year-old woman, getting free eye surgery was nothing to be worried about.

Lasik eye surgery is a quick procedure, according to Dr. Neil Chesen, of Chesen Laser Eye Center in West Reading.

"It's usually less than five minutes for each eye," said Chesen, who realizes not everyone sees it that way. "Frankly, a lot of people are scared of it. That's probably as much as anything why a lot of people still choose not to have it."

But Katie Hartlove said she wasn't nervous. She's been through worse.

"I had heart surgery in September, and it led to a lot of complications," said Hartlove. "I had a couple heart attacks and then a stroke, a really massive stroke."

The stroke left the left side of her body paralyzed.

"And they didn't really expect me to live through it, or to walk or to talk or anything," said Hartlove.

A year later, she's able to do all those things.

"A little bit everyday. I've been just working really hard with walking and getting my arm to move," said Hartlove.

But she's been wearing glasses because one arm is not good for putting in contacts.

"It takes about two people to hold my eye open so I could get my contacts in," said Hartlove.

Hartlove's sister-in-law entered her in the Gift of Sight contest, and a year to the date after her stroke she found out she won an eye surgery from Chesen Laser Eye Center that costs almost $5,000.

"Just couldn't think of anyone else more deserving," said Chesen.

Hartlove's doctor said when she wakes up in the morning she won't need glasses to see people's reaction to what's she's accomplished.

"And for people who are also in a similar situation, just keep fighting," said Hartlove, "Maybe you'll prove everybody wrong."