Thanks to a transplant, Russ is able to clearly see the smiles on his daughters’ faces.
As busy parents, we rely on many things to help us balance a full work and home life. One of those things that we often take for granted is the ability to see clearly.
Thousands of individuals suffer from corneal blindness each year, limiting their vision and ability to perform everyday tasks such as driving the kids to school or reading a computer screen at work.
For Russ, living with effects of corneal blindness was a reality. In high school he was diagnosed with keratoconus- a condition in which the cornea becomes thin and cone-shaped causing vision distortion.
While his condition was corrected for many years with contact lenses it progressed in his early 30’s to the point where his doctor suggested a corneal transplant.
While the thought of corneal transplant surgery might have been daunting to some, Russ looked forward to the improvement in his visual quality. Working as an IT analyst was becoming a challenge with reduced vision.
“It was difficult at a computer all day,” recalled Russ. “I found myself using zoom a lot.”
Restored vision would also help Russ keep up with his two young daughters, ages 5 and 2, allowing him to enjoy seeing all of the milestones in their young lives with clarity.
Today, thanks to his legacy of his cornea donor, Russ is seeing clearly with 20/25 vision. While Russ has always been a member of his state’s organ and tissue donor registry, his support of donation has now taken on new meaning.
“My biggest reason for donating- why wouldn’t you help someone else to see,” said Russ. “It just doesn’t make sense not to be a donor.”
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.”
After her two cornea transplants, Wilma chose to give back to others.
Imagine living your life as if you were looking through waxed paper. You couldn’t read the newspaper or your favorite recipes. You would have trouble identifying your grandchildren on the soccer field. You could no longer safely drive your car, relying on others to get anywhere.
For Wilma of Decatur, Ill., all of these, and many other issues, were realities because of her battle against Fuch’s dystrophy, a genetic eye disease that slowly steals one’s vision. Her only escape from permanent blindness? A corneal transplant using donated tissue from Heartland Lions Eye Banks.
In 2009, Wilma underwent two partial thickness corneal transplants. The surgeries themselves went smoothly, but she faced some difficulties in her recovery. “I did have quite a bit of pain the day of and following surgery, but it was well worth it,” said Wilma. “I know friends who’ve had both partial and full cornea transplants, and neither one experienced pain. Every surgery is different, and the pain wasn’t anything that lasted more than a few days.”
Within six weeks of her surgery, this retired bookkeeper and grandmother of five noticed significant improvements in her vision, and is now able to see 20/25 without glasses and 20/20 with corrective lenses for her astigmatism. Today, Wilma is back driving, reading and working on her computer as well as enjoying her favorite hobbies, including genealogy and bird watching.
Remarked Wilma, “It’s just unreal. I look outside and not only see the tree and the leaves, but the stems and the veins of the leaves. And now I can tell the difference between squirrels and rabbits in my yard. I think of those who’ve never been able to see in their lifetime and how fortunate I am to be able to see. It’s very emotional.”
Since her surgery, Wilma continues to make a difference in the Eye Bank’s efforts to improve the eyesight of individuals in Illinois and around the world. She has written her donor families to thank them for their gifts and is a generous financial contributor to the Eye Bank’s mission, helping us to provide free gratis tissue to those in need and to work with researchers in discovering the causes of and cures for eye disease.
In addition, Wilma continues to encourage others to join their state’s registry in honor of those who gave her the gift of sight, “Words can’t tell you how much my donor and donor families mean. They gave me such a precious gift when they lost someone precious to them. I think of them every day when I wake in the morning and open my eyes.”
Wilma is so very thankful as well to everyone involved in her surgeries and recovery. “I will be forever grateful to those involved with the donor families and the donor tissue at the Eye Bank and to my wonderful surgeon, Dr. Matthew Thompson, and his staff at Springfield Clinic in Springfield, Ill. It couldn’t have happened without a multitude of people doing a fantastic job.”
Everyone at the Eye Bank is thrilled we were able to play a part in helping Wilma regain her lost vision and thank her for her continued commitment to helping others facing a lifetime of blindness.
A cornea transplant saved Jana from completely losing her sight.
In 2008, Jana, an active high school soccer and volleyball player was diagnosed with a corneal ulcer that become infected with the bacteria pseudomonas. Although the infection cleared, it created a scar over her cornea, stealing both her vision and her freedom.
Because the condition affected Jana’s depth perception, she was forced to give up driving and faced difficulties handling every day activities like pouring a glass of milk or maneuvering her crowded high school hallways. Worst of all, Jana battled unbelievable challenges when she returned to the volleyball court.
“I played my senior year of high school, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t hard,” said Jana. “Since one of my eyes had been impaired, I had lost the ability to have a sense of depth perception and speed. It came as a shock when my dad threw me a ball, and I couldn’t catch it. I had to relearn everything, all of the basics. I had to learn a whole new game of volleyball. Once a starter on the team, I was now a person who had to relearn how to pass a volleyball.”
Finally, in November 2008, Jana underwent a corneal transplant. While the surgery was a success, her recovery was a roller coaster. “My vision varied from day to day, sometimes very drastically. One day I could see better with my ‘good’ eye, then the next I would be running into things because I didn’t see them. At times it got really frustrating – it was like a coin toss to see how well I would see the following day.”
To protect her vision, Jana was under strict restrictions when it came to lifting and protecting her eyes. She had to insert eye drops four times a day, and her eye became very light sensitive, forcing her to wear dark sunglasses anytime she went outside.
As the year passed, Jana was given more privileges in her recovery and began to see her eyesight slowly return. Now she is back to driving and playing both volleyball and soccer. She is also in college, studying marine biology.
Without her donor and donor family, Jana could not be where she is today. “My cornea donor and family mean everything to me. If they didn’t decide to be an organ donor, there is a chance that I would never be able to see out of my eye again. They flipped my life 180 degrees!”
Because of their gift and the difference it made on her life, Jana is a public supporter of eye, organ and tissue donation. “I make a conscious effort at telling people my story and encouraging them to become organ donors. A lot of people are misinformed about organ donation, and I help them get the right information. Also people think of major organs that need to be donated and don’t realize all the smaller items that can enhance somebody’s life tenfold, like a cornea.”
