Esther grew up on a small dry-land farm in rural central Kansas, where hard work and family values shaped the life she would go on to live. She married her high school sweetheart, a farmer, and together they built a life rooted in love, resilience, and community.
For a time, Esther taught junior high English before staying home with her two children. When they were old enough, she returned to school to earn her master’s degree in psychology, beginning a long career dedicated to helping others as a psychologist.
Her children fondly remember summers spent traveling together, often to Colorado but sometimes all the way to the coasts, as well as lively gatherings at their home filled with laughter, card games of ten-point pitch, and annual Fourth of July celebrations.
Music was one of Esther’s deepest passions. A gifted musician, she played the piano, organ, and baritone, sharing her talents with her church, its choir, and at countless weddings and funerals. She continued to play piano well into her final days. Esther was also a gifted writer, capturing moments of farm life, family, and personal reflection through short stories, poetry, and three published books.
Above all, Esther loved her family deeply, especially her granddaughters, who were the light of her life. Known for her quick wit, her warmth, and even her famous
potato salad, she brought joy wherever she went.
Esther chose to be a donor, a decision her family proudly honored. “It makes perfect sense for her to continue that legacy even after death,” her daughter shared. “She spent her life helping others—through her work, on the farm, with her family, and even in retirement sewing hundreds of dresses and comforters for those in need.”
Esther’s story is one of service, creativity, and love that continues to ripple outward. Her words, like her life, remain a gift. To close, her family shared her last poem as a way of honoring her voice and memory:
A NEW RHYTHM – written by Esther Fay Sayler in June of 2025 (1948-2025)
“Flow”
“Gush”
Origins for our word “rhythm”
Rhythm is Inherent in nature’s music
The courtship of birds
The distant rumble of jungle elephants
The snarl of a dirigible
The vibration of a 32 foot organ pipe
Rhythm is inherent in life’s music too
Ecclesiastes speaks to it
“A time to be born…”
“A time to plant…”
My early life had a rhythm
Get up
Get dressed
Work
Rural Kansas Mennonites had a rhythm
Everyone does, I suppose,
For us
Plant Turkey red wheat seeds in the fall
With faith they were planted
Surrendering them to snuggle into the black, cold soil
We would wait
Waiting for their time to be born
To sprout in the weak sunshine of early spring
Break out of the blackness
And grow into golden stalks
With wispy white beards
Plump little kernels
Bowing in the Kansas sun and wind
And then- -the triumphal season
Harvest
“A time to reap…”
Certainly a flow
Hopefully a gush
A gush of wheat
Into the combine, the truck, the elevator
Into our daily bread
Harvest rhythm disrupted the regular beat
The regular, measured beat of our lives
A kind of Syncopation certainly
The predictable, routine beat was bent
The sounds different
The bass of men’s voices
Carried across the fields
The combine snarl
The trucks’ pipes rumble and vibration
Powerful
Housework became less important
Food quicker, cooler,
Transportable to the field
Eaten in the shade of wheat trucks
A dance between harvest need and hunger,
A courtship between expediency and weather
Moms drive wheat trucks
Kids play in the wheat
Get by snacking on potato chips and candy bars
For 30 plus years it was my rhythm too
I loved the Kansas jungle sounds
The “exotic” food
The gush of adrenaline
The syncopation of routine life
The rhythm of harvest
For me…
That rhythm is gone now
And many songs silent as well
The elephants are gone
Courtships over
Dirigible broken
Organ pipes silent
I’m old
No longer a part of the jungle
I grieve its loss
I miss the verdant life
Crave the syncopation
I need a map
The directions to a new jungle
The reawakening of a rhythm
A new flow,
A gush of a new, green, growing life
When Dustin received a letter in the mail about his father’s cornea donation, he paused. The logo at the top was instantly familiar: Saving Sight. For years, Dustin has worked with the organization as its financial advisor—helping manage retirement plans and guiding staff through long-term planning. But this was different.
Mark Johnson
“I’ve helped Saving Sight for nearly a decade,” Dustin said. “But to see my dad’s name on a letter from you all—to know he became a donor—it just blew me away. It came full circle.”
Dustin’s father, Mark, passed away in December at the age of 72. In life, he was a devoted husband, father and grandfather, celebrating 50 years of marriage to Dustin’s mother just a few months before his passing. Raised in southeast Kansas, Mark lived a life of creativity, generosity and resilience.
After losing his own father as a young boy, Mark was raised by his mother alongside three older siblings. He met his high school sweetheart—Dustin’s mom—in Independence, Kansas. Together they attended Pittsburg State University, where Mark studied marketing and design. That passion translated into a lifelong career as an artist and business owner. Mark specialized in wildlife oil paintings, lettering, sign work and eventually glass installation.
“Later in life, he bought a glass business,” Dustin said. “He did residential and commercial installs, framing, custom pieces—you name it. Glass kind of became his thing.”
Outside of work, Mark was an avid outdoorsman, antique car collector, and golfer. In his later years, he could often be found on the golf course or visiting his grandkids in Kansas City. Even after surviving a quadruple bypass and a battle with colon cancer, Mark continued to put others first, always finding time for family and friends.
“He would do anything for someone else before doing it for himself,” Dustin said. “That’s just who he was.”
After Mark’s passing, Dustin’s mother received a letter explaining that both of his corneas had been successfully donated and transplanted, restoring sight to two individuals in Pakistan.
“It just stopped me in my tracks,” Dustin said. “To know someone can see the world through his gift—it’s humbling. And knowing that it happened through Saving Sight made it even more meaningful.”
For Dustin and his family, the news was both healing and affirming.
“We’re all givers at heart,” Dustin said. “And if you can help someone—especially when you no longer need what’s being given—why wouldn’t you?”
Today, Mark’s legacy lives on through the lives he’s touched—both near and far. A large mural featuring one of his paintings now graces the side of his hometown’s high school stadium, thanks to donations made in his memory. Dustin is keeping a few of his dad’s classic cars, hoping someday his own son will carry on that tradition.
This Father’s Day, Dustin is reminded of the man who helped shape him.
“I think my dad would be proud,” he said. “Proud to know his final gift gave someone their sight—and proud to know his story might inspire someone else to say yes to donation.”
Aleigha was the kind of person who always put others first. Sensitive and kind-hearted, she never hesitated to help someone. From a young age, Aleigha was outgoing, funny, and full of life. She loved watching her younger brother’s football games with her mom, laughing and cheering from the sidelines. She grew into a compassionate young woman, and though she once dreamed of becoming an EMT, her path shifted with love and motherhood.
She found joy in the simple things—quiet rides on dirt roads, music playing through the speakers, her daughters giggling in the back seat. Aleigha adored her two young girls, Jazzlyn and Jayde. They were her pride and joy. Moments like those were full of connection, love, and happiness.
When her family learned that Aleigha could become a cornea donor through Saving Sight, they felt both the shock of loss and the comfort of purpose. “Deciding to donate was an honor,” her mom, Rebecca, says. “Knowing that Aleigha selflessly shared a part of herself to brighten a stranger’s life has been a true blessing.” Aleigha’s family found comfort in knowing her legacy would live on as a donor hero. Her mom, Rebecca, shares, “Being a donor family is an honor. Knowing that a loved one can give all they have for strangers and that those strangers are flourishing is a blessing.”
Aleigha and family
Her mother now honors her by sharing her story whenever she can and attending events celebrating the gift of eye, organ, and tissue donation. “It brings us joy to be in contact with her recipients,” she says. “Knowing she’s still here in a way you can cling to mentally and emotionally.” It’s through those connections that Aleigha’s family has found an unexpected comfort. Each thank-you note is a reminder that Aleigha’s light endures, sparking new beginnings in eyes and hearts she’ll never meet.
In the months following Aleigha’s donation, Rebecca found solace and solidarity within the tight-knit donation community. Rebecca enjoys going to donor remembrance events, where she meets fellow donor families who understand grief’s quiet ache and the profound pride that comes with giving life to strangers. “We can be there for each other. Even though we are all strangers in this walk of life, we all have a commonality,” her mom, Rebecca, shares. Thanks to their warmth, she discovered that although every loss is intensely personal, the shared compassion of fellow donor families can turn grief into a celebration of hope and healing.”
“To fellow donor families, she offers this comfort: ‘When uncertainty feels overwhelming, hold on to hope. I envision my daughter’s spark living on in others—illuminating their lives just as it did ours.”
This Mother’s Day, we honor Aleigha, her giving spirit, and the strength of her mother, Rebecca, who continues to share her daughter’s light with the world.
Chad, a vibrant soul with a zest for life, left a mark on those who knew him. “He was a very happy person,” Linda fondly recalls. “He loved to have fun, joking and wrestling around.”
Tragically, Chad’s journey came to an end in January 2017 due to a car accident. Through her sorrow, Linda found peace in the opportunity to honor Chad’s memory through organ donation. Linda shares, “Chad would do anything he could to help somebody.” Chad’s selflessness manifested in his decision to register as an eye, organ, and tissue donor, a choice that would impact countless lives.
For Linda, Chad’s donation brought awareness and understanding. “I signed my driver’s license every time, knowing it was the right thing to do,” she says. “But I didn’t fully comprehend the extent of donation until Chad’s passing.” Through Midwest Transplant Network, Linda discovered the ripple effect of donation, extending far beyond organs to include tissues, bones, and corneas. “I had no idea that you could donate corneas or tissue,” she said. “It’s been eye-opening to learn how donation can touch so many lives.”
Chad’s legacy of giving continues to shine through an annual wiffleball tournament, a fitting tribute to his cherished childhood memories. Linda shares, “In September 2016, he was here with one of his kids and a couple of the other grandkids, and they were all outside playing wiffleball, and he said to me, ‘Mom, you know that this is my fondest memory growing up.’” Linda began to wonder what she could do to honor Chad and his legacy. “I didn’t want to do like the normal 5K because he didn’t run. I wanted it to be about him and came up with a wiffleball tournament.” What began as a small gathering with about eight teams on one field has blossomed into an annual community-wide event with 24 teams spread across eight fields.
As Linda navigates grief and healing, she finds comfort in connecting with recipients of Chad’s gifts. From an elderly woman regaining mobility to a hiker conquering new heights, each story reaffirms the impact of eye, organ, and tissue donation.
In honoring Chad’s legacy, Linda embraces a message of resilience and hope. “His story is one of triumph and tragedy,” she reflects. “I choose to focus on the positive, carrying forward his spirit of giving with every letter, every conversation, and every act of kindness.” As Linda and her family continue to honor Chad’s memory, they invite others to join them on the journey of donation. “Chad gave 100% of what he could give,” Linda emphasizes. “His legacy lives on in the lives he touched, inspiring us all to embrace the gift of giving.” In commemorating Chad’s spirit of generosity, Linda reminds us that even in moments of loss, love endures, and the legacy of giving transcends time.
“My mom was extremely devoted to her family, especially her mother, two kids and five grandchildren. She had just gotten her first granddaughter after four boys and was so proud. She was extremely giving, to the point she’d go without so others had. She was an AMAZING cook, no one could come close to her meals, and she took great pride in that.
She loved shopping, she spent each Saturday wandering the aisles of Walmart. She was also an avid church goer, she attended every Sunday with her family. She had liked gardening in earlier years, and recently was obsessed with watching Wheel of Fortune. She knew the answers even before the contestants did,” shares Hannah.
Hannah says she and her mother had never talked about donation prior to her mother’s passing. “I was very familiar because I work in healthcare, but other than knowing we were each listed on our respective drivers licenses, we had never had a discussion about it.”
A Legacy Lives On
“Her legacy lives on especially in her grandchildren, who are currently learning to do acts of kindness so that her huge heart may live on. Regarding donation, I know her legacy is living in the people she has given new life, vision, and mobility too. Also the people who will benefit from the research she contributed too,” says Hannah.
“I was inspired to share our story, because I want to help others who are in a similar pain, understand that good does come eventually. I would just like people to know how missed she is, but how grateful we are that she was able to give to others.”
Here are two photos Hannah provided of her mother, Melanie; the second is a picture of her with Hannah’s son, her second oldest grandchild. It just shows perfectly what a wonderful Mimi she was.
Chad, a vibrant soul with a zest for life, left a mark on those who knew him. “He was a very happy person,” Linda fondly recalls. “He loved to have fun, joking and wrestling around.”
