Carl had no idea he could be an eye donor until his hospice nurse shared the facts about eye donation.
One of the biggest misconceptions about eye donation is that you can’t pledge to be a donor if you have cancer, diabetes or other chronic conditions.
However, since the cornea receives its oxygen from the air as opposed to the bloodstream, almost anyone with a noncommunicable condition can give the gift of sight.
For Carl of southwest Missouri, serving others had always been a passion for him. A former taxi and limo driver who retired in 2000, Carl had long helped people get where they needed to go. In 2010, he faced a decision whether or not to help two individuals on their own journeys out of blindness.
During his battle with pancreatic cancer, Carl was enrolled in hospice care where he learned about his options for donation from his nurses. After much soul searching and discussion with his wife, Rosalie, Carl made two decisions – to donate his body for the research of pancreatic cancer treatments and cures and to donate his eyes to Saving Sight.
Because of his decision, Carl, a father of three and an avid fisherman, helped two individuals once again see their families and enjoy their favorite activities with clear vision.
Said Rosalie, “I thought it was pretty neat Carl made the decision to donate. It would be so wonderful if we all made the pledge to do it!”
Diane is grateful to her donor and their family for the decision that saved her sight.
As a retired educator, Diane can attest to the importance of developing good reading skills for success in life. However, when Diane’s vision began to deteriorate from keratoconus she got a whole new perspective on students who have difficulty reading.
“You just give up,” said Diane.
At age 30 Diane was diagnosed with keratoconus- a condition in which the cornea is abnormally cone-shaped, causing significant visual impairment. For many years she was able to wear glasses or contact lenses to correct her vision. However, over the last several years Diane’s condition reached a point where she could only wear contacts for a few hours, having to remove them because of the pain they caused. Without the corrective lenses she was legally blind- unable to read, drive at night, dial a phone or use a computer.
“It’s one thing to be at home and not be able to see,” said Diane. “It’s another to be in an outside environment.”
The physical limitations of being legally blind affected Diane’s ability to teach reading classes at a local community college. Essentially, life went on hold.
In November, Diane underwent a corneal transplant surgery to restore vision in her left eye. The transplant was successful, and today Diane can see more clearly and her vision continues to improve on a weekly basis. Next year she will undergo a transplant in the other eye.
After her transplant experience, Diane felt it was important to share her thanks with her donor’s family via the Eye Banks’ anonymous correspondence program.
“The fact that someone would do this for me or someone they don’t know- it’s like a soulful experience,” said Diane. “I feel like I am looking through someone else’s eyes. It’s life-changing, and I wanted to reach out and thank them.”
Diane had also experienced a loss when her oldest son was killed in a plane crash while serving in the U.S. Air Force. While she and her family knew that he wanted to be an organ and tissue donor, due to the circumstances of his death while serving our country donation was not an option.
Today, Diane is a proponent of the miracle of organ and tissue donation- not only because of her own experience but because she understands the healing that the very giving act of donation can have for grieving families.
Today JoAnn volunteers with the Eye Bank to encourage others to become organ and tissue donors.
Imagine a world where you cannot clearly see your loved one’s face or expressions. Sadly, this is a reality for thousands who suffer from corneal blindness. For many, the last option for clear vision is undergoing a corneal transplant surgery, allowing them to see the world again through the generosity and legacy of an eye tissue donor.
JoAnn of western Kansas struggled with poor vision for many years. In high school she was diagnosed with keratoconus- a condition is which the cornea becomes thin and cone-shaped, seriously distorting vision. For years, her condition was treated with special contact lenses. However, in 2005 the keratoconus progressed to a point where only a corneal transplant surgery would restore her vision.
After consulting with her surgeon, that fall JoAnn received a transplant that changed her vision forever. Her immediate reaction post-transplant was forever memorable.
“Oh my goodness, I can see my husband!” she recounted.
In addition, she can now see her two children and five grandchildren clearly. The transplant has given her the independence and ability to enjoy many aspects of life that she couldn’t because of keratoconus. Today, JoAnn is an active volunteer with the Eye Bank and has spoken about her experience as a transplant recipient in support of donation.
“Everyone should donate,” said JoAnn. “They had a cornea for me- that’s such a blessing. I thank the dear Lord everyday.”
Twenty-seven years ago, Kris lost her sight to shingles. Now she can see clearly after a cornea transplant.
After losing her vision in her left eye to a case of shingles 27 years ago, Kris of Kansas spent the majority of her adulthood compensating for her lost sight. As a busy nurse and mother of three, Kris had long refused to let her vision problems stand in her way, whether she was taking care of patients or sewing for her friends and family.
“You learn to turn your head the right way,” she explained. “I would avoid getting close up to things to be able to see or read. When it came to sewing or quilting, having the light
Although Kris felt blessed that only one eye was affected, she had long been ready to take the step toward clear vision. Finally, in 2010, a new eye surgeon suggested Kris finally undergo the cornea transplant other doctors had recommended against. That September, with tissue from a generous donor family, Dr. Andrew Moyes of Moyes Eye Center in Kansas City performed her long-awaited surgery.
Almost immediately, Kris began to regain much of the sight she had been missing for a quarter of a century. “I describe my left eye as it is waking up after all these years. Each day is better and better. My sewing, reading , all my craft work is getting easier daily. Even at my work, which is at the computer all day long, is getting better. I am getting ready to make a friend’s wedding dress, and I know nothing will cause me trouble.”
As a nurse, Kris has long believed in the power of eye and organ donation. But as a cornea transplant recipient, she now has first-hand experience of the difference the pledge to donate can make. For that reason, she encourages her fellow Kansas residents to consider joining the state’s new first-person donor registry at www.donatelifekansas.com.
“I am walking proof that there are wonderful loving people who have given the gift of their loved one so someone like me can continue to have a better life. I was lucky I only had one eye which I could not see out of, but what about the person who has been blind most or all of their live and unable to see the joys of their life? Many people will never experience the act of receiving an organ, but we all can give a wonderful gift to someone.”
Through correspondence, Carol was able to learn more about her son Mark’s cornea recipients.
When someone loses a loved one, it’s difficult to find the good in such a heartbreaking situation. However, for many families, eye, organ and tissue donation has given them a sense of hope. And when those families hear from their loved one’s recipients, it’s particularly rewarding.
In 2010, Carol lost her 30-year-old son, Mark. Unbeknownst to the family, Mark had made the pledge to become an eye donor through Missouri’s first-person consent registry – a move that didn’t surprise Carol.
“Mark was absolutely the most loving person that we know in our family,” she said. “He cared very much about his family – about everybody. He didn’t know a stranger. Mark was never judgmental, gave everybody a fair chance, and always tried to help the underdog.”
As Carol and her family moved through the grieving process, they received a letter from Heartland Lions Eye Banks informing them Mark’s corneas had been provided to two recipients in California. Carol wrote the recipients, introducing them to her son, and soon received letters back from both individuals. One recipient in particular struck a chord with Carol, and the two began corresponding frequently.
Explained Carol, “I can’t say enough about how his words have helped me. This man just amazes me. Even in his last letter, he said, ‘Mark and I had our stitches removed and the good doctor says our vision continues to improve. We are a good fit. There was a moment or two I did feel Mark was there.’ He couldn’t have said anything better to me.”
The recipient/donor family correspondence has not only helped in the healing process for Mark’s direct family, but for his church family as well. Carol has read letters from Mark’s cornea recipient to fellow church members, helping them to find hope desperate situations and encouraging them to follow Mark’s lead by pledging to become eye and organ donors through Missouri’s donor registry.
For Carol, the Eye Bank’s correspondence program has made a difference for her family, and therefore, she urges donor families and recipients alike to consider writing their own letters.
“I know Mark is living through this gentleman. I feel he has Mark in the palm of his hand like another grandpa, and it gives me such a comforting feeling. This man was so generous in his thoughts and words back to my family.
To learn more about writing your donor family or your loved one’s recipient, please read our Connect With Us page or contact the Eye Bank at 800-753-2265.
