Sep 24, 2026 | Donor Stories, News
Jeffery with family
For most of his life, Jeffery saw the world through one eye.
When he was 7 years old, a firecracker exploded in his face. Doctors were able to save the eye itself, but they could not restore the vision in it. The injury would shape parts of Jeffery’s life, requiring him to adapt to challenges many people never experience. But according to his daughter, the accident never defined who he was.
“He was tough. He was stubborn. He was hardworking. He was smart enough to figure out just about anything,” she said. “And he always had a smart-ass comment ready when the opportunity presented itself.”
Jeffery approached life with determination and resilience. Because of his injury, he even taught himself to use his right hand despite being naturally left-handed. As a young man, he hoped to join the Marines like his father before him, but his vision prevented him from enlisting. While it was a disappointment, his daughter said he handled it the same way he approached every obstacle in life: he kept moving forward.
“He worked hard his entire life. He provided for his family. He showed up when he was needed. He loved us fiercely.”
Among Jeffery’s greatest joys was spending time with his family, especially his daughter. Together, they shared a love of fishing that created some of her most treasured memories.
“We were a father-daughter duo,” she said. “Every weekend, you’d find us standing on a pier, catching sharks together. Looking back now, those trips were about more than fishing. They were about spending time together, sharing stories, laughing and making memories I’ll carry with me forever.”
The lessons Jeffery passed down extended far beyond fishing. Today, his daughter still hears his voice whenever she ties a knot, makes a cast or reels in a fish.
“Every time I fish now, I hear his voice. Every knot I tie, every cast I make, every fish I catch reminds me of the lessons he taught me.”
Jeffery with kids
As much as Jeffery loved being outdoors, his family believes he loved being a father and grandfather even more. He was someone who could be tough when he needed to be, but underneath that exterior was a man who cared deeply for the people around him.
Even during his final days, Jeffery’s sense of humor never left him.
While he was in the hospital, he shared a moment his daughter will always remember.
“He looked at me and said, ‘I can’t wait to see out of both eyes again,'” she recalled. “I laughed and asked what he was going to do then. Without missing a beat, he smiled and said, ‘I don’t know. Probably lose my balance and fall.'”
For his family, the conversation has taken on even greater meaning since his passing.
When donation was first discussed, they were surprised to learn that both of Jeffery’s corneas could be donated. Like many families, they had questions about the process. Through compassionate guidance and support, they came to understand the impact donation could have on others.
Then came a realization they never expected.
“The man who had spent most of his life unable to see out of one eye was now helping another person see,” his daughter said. “It felt impossible and beautiful at the same time.”
Today, Jeffery’s gift continues to impact others through cornea donation, creating opportunities for people to experience the world in ways many take for granted.
“I couldn’t stop thinking about what he said in the hospital,” his daughter said. “‘I can’t wait to see out of both eyes again.’ Today, because of his final gift, someone else can see the faces of the people they love. Someone else can see a sunrise, a sunset, their children, their grandchildren and all the beauty this world has to offer.”
While Jeffery’s family misses him every day, they find comfort in the legacy he left behind. His daughter remembers a father who taught her how to fish, a grandfather who adored his family and a man who met life’s challenges with strength, humor and determination.
“My dad spent his life giving to others,” she said. “It somehow seems fitting that even after his passing, he found one more way to help someone.”
When she thinks of her father today, she doesn’t think about the eye he lost as a child. She thinks about the life he built, the family he loved and the example he set for those around him.
Jeffery spent most of his life seeing the world through one eye. Through his final gift, he helped others see through both.
Sep 9, 2026 | Recipient Stories
Carol
For much of her life, Carol never gave much thought to her eyes. She raised four boys, built a long career in sales, and was just settling into the thought of retirement when the world in front of her began to change. What she didn’t know yet was that her sight was slipping away, and that two donors, along with the families who honored their decision to give, would help her get it back.
For years, Carol’s eye doctor told her the same thing: one day, she’d have cataracts. Then one day, the message changed.
“All of a sudden, he didn’t say cataracts,” Carol said. “He said, ‘Oh, my gosh, you’ve got this and that.’ And I was like, okay — I didn’t realize. I didn’t know anything about it, never heard about it.”
The diagnosis was Fuchs’ corneal dystrophy, a progressive condition that clouds the cornea and takes vision over time. It’s hereditary but can skip generations, which is why Carol never knew it ran in her family until her own son was later tested.
She didn’t fully grasp what was at stake until a chance conversation at a party in Dallas. A woman there, who knew nothing of Carol’s situation, started talking about her own mother. “She said her mom was told she needed the transplant, and she said, ‘No, forget it.’ And now at 88, she’s blind. And frustrated.”
For Carol, it was a glimpse of the road she didn’t want to take. “That is scary to think that that could have been the outcome,” said Carol.
Carol’s path led her to Dr. Cavanaugh, a corneal transplant surgeon she came to trust completely. “He does a phenomenal job,” she said. “I just felt like, whoa — God led me to that, really swiftly.”
Her first transplant came in December 2025. The second followed this summer. Going in, she was, in her words, “over the top nervous,” unsure of exactly what would happen. What she found instead was calm.
“It was very comfortable and peaceful,” she said. “I wish I could have seen all this before I had to go through it.”
The hardest part wasn’t the surgery. It was the 48 hours of lying still afterward, following every instruction to the letter. Carol is a self-described rule follower, and it showed. At her follow-up, the first thing her surgeon said was that it looked like she’d followed instructions.
“That made me really happy,” said Carol.
Today, one month out from her second surgery, Carol is still healing. “Right now, everything looks like I’m looking through a screen door,” she remarked. Her vision is coming back gradually, and with two more months of recovery ahead, she knows the clarity is on its way. “I know it’s a process.”
What moves Carol most isn’t the science of what she received. It’s the people behind it. She thinks often about her donors and the families who said yes.
“That was just such an incredibly tough decision,” she said. “I know the family is just grieving like crazy.”
Carol understands that grief in a way few recipients do. Last year, she lost her son. He was 47, and she wasn’t able to donate his organs. That loss changed how she carries this gift.
“After losing my son and receiving this gift,” said Carol, “there’s a different level of joy that comes with it. Everybody takes it for granted. But you don’t really know until you get one or give one.”
It’s part of why Carol chose to write letters to her donors’ families, a chance many recipients never realize they have. For Carol, the exchange gave her something grief alone couldn’t. “It doesn’t take the sting out of death,” she says. “But it just gives you more peace.”
Carol hopes her story does two things at once: encourage others to say yes to donation and reassure donor families of the difference their loved one’s gift makes.
“I’m just so grateful that I had the opportunity to have this experience,” she said. “If it encourages somebody else to do it — hooray. And if it helps a donor’s family to know the success, then that’s really — those are both golden.”
She keeps coming back to one word: gift.
“If you can just stay positive and know it’s a gift, you’re going to be in the right boat,” said Carol. “I’m just so thankful every year that goes by that science gets smarter and is able to help us.”
One decision can change someone’s world. Carol can see again because eye donors, and the families who honored their decision, chose to give. You can make that same choice. To join the organ and tissue donor registry, visit registerme.org.
Aug 12, 2026 | News
At 5 p.m. on a Friday, Saving Sight received an urgent request from a physician partner. A patient had suffered a corneal perforation and needed emergency surgery the following morning. The surgeon had secured operating room access—but transplant tissue needed to arrive by 7 a.m.
Nicole Taylor, a member of Saving Sight’s Client Services team, immediately identified suitable tissue and began coordinating an after-hours delivery to the surgery center.
Debora van Klinken Muntz, Cornea Laboratory Technician
Nicole Taylor, Client Services Specialist
Within 30 minutes of receiving the request, the team had a plan in place.
Debora van Klinken Muntz had already left for the day and was grocery shopping when Nicole called. Recognizing the urgency of the situation, Debora returned to the lab to carefully prepare and package the tissue while transportation was arranged with an overnight courier.
Within 30 minutes of receiving the request, the team had a plan in place. The tissue arrived at the surgery center in time for the procedure the following morning. The physician later shared that the surgery had gone well and expressed appreciation for Saving Sight’s quick response.
The effort reflected the care and coordination behind every donor gift. By acting quickly and working together, Nicole and Debora helped ensure that donated corneal tissue reached a patient when it was urgently needed—giving the surgeon an opportunity to help preserve the patient’s sight.
Jul 20, 2026 | News
Saving Sight is pleased to welcome VCC Kelly Rackovan, representing Multiple District 26, to our Board of Directors.
VCC Kelly brings a lifelong passion for service, leadership, and community engagement to Saving Sight. Through many years of involvement with Lions Clubs, she has dedicated herself to helping others and strengthening the communities she serves. Her experience in both volunteer leadership and the healthcare field has given her a deep appreciation for the importance of improving lives through compassionate service.
As a new board member, Kelly is excited to expand her understanding of Saving Sight’s programs and the many ways the organization restores sight through cornea donation, vision health initiatives, and innovative services like First Gift and Vital Tears. She is especially looking forward to learning more about KidSight®, having previously volunteered with vision screenings and seen firsthand the impact early detection can have on children and their families.
Outside of her professional and volunteer commitments, Kelly enjoys spending time with her four grandchildren, reading, and exploring creative crafting projects with friends. She values opportunities to connect with others and believes meaningful service begins with strong relationships and a willingness to help.
Please join us in welcoming VCC Kelly Rackovan to the Saving Sight Board of Directors. We are grateful for her dedication to serving others and look forward to the experience and passion she will bring as we continue to change lives by saving sight.
Jul 2, 2026 | Community Partners, News
Each year, Saving Sight’s Charitable Grants Program helps extend our mission by supporting organizations that improve access to vision care and strengthen eye health services throughout Missouri. Through the generosity of our supporters and the guidance of our Board of Directors, these grants empower our partners to make a meaningful difference in the communities they serve.
The organizations that received charitable grants in 2025 have already demonstrated the tremendous impact these investments can make.
KidSight
KidSight continued expanding its statewide vision screening program, screening more than 56,800 children this year—an increase from nearly 48,700 the previous year. More than 4,700 children were identified as needing additional eye care, with hundreds receiving comprehensive eye exams, eyeglasses, and care coordination through mobile clinics, provider partnerships, and referral networks.
Missouri Lions Eye Mission Foundation
Missouri Lions Eye Mission Foundation used its grant to purchase two new Spot Vision Screeners, expanding its ability to serve communities across the state. The equipment helped Lions districts build their own local mission programs, contributing to multiple independent mission events, dozens of statewide vision missions, and the engagement of more than 300 volunteers.
Mid-South Lions Sight & Hearing Service
Mid-South Lions Sight & Hearing Service used grant funding to provide comprehensive vision care for 15 Missouri patients, with additional Missourians receiving services through the UMKC Cataract-A-Thon.
Show Me Lions Eyeglass Recycling
Show Me Lions Eyeglass Recycling invested in a new lensometer, increasing its capacity to process donated eyeglasses more efficiently. The additional equipment allows more volunteers to work simultaneously, helping prepare more glasses for vision missions around the world.
Together, these organizations continue to expand access to vision care, support volunteers, and improve lives across Missouri and beyond.
At its June 2026 meeting, the Saving Sight Board of Directors approved this year’s charitable grant awards, continuing our commitment to organizations dedicated to preserving and restoring sight.
This year’s grant recipients are:
• KidSight – $28,500
• Missouri Lions Eye Mission Foundation – $16,500
• Mid-South Lions Sight and Hearing Service – $10,000
• Show Me Lions Eyeglass Recycling Program – $5,000
We are proud to partner with these organizations as they continue expanding access to vision care, supporting underserved communities, and changing lives through the gift of sight. We look forward to seeing the impact these grants will make in the coming year.
