Restored by the Kindness of a Stranger: Sieglinde’s Story

Sieglinde Vest

For months, Sieglinde had been living with excruciating pain and blurred vision in her right eye. “It got so bad I could hardly see straight out of my other eye,” she recalled. Sieglinde endured six months of deteriorating vision and persistent discomfort, trying various eye drops and treatments that offered no relief. After countless eye drops and appointments, she reached a breaking point just before the holidays. “I told my doctor, ‘You have to do something. I can’t take this pain anymore.” Her optometrist told her, “You need something done right away,” and referred her to Dr. Shachar Tauber, who confirmed she needed a cornea transplant immediately.

During her first appointment with Dr. Tauber, Sieglinde remembers asking, “Do you even have any corneas available?’ I thought I’d have to wait months,” she said. “He said, ‘Oh no, we have one right away.’ That was such a relief.”

Shortly after her first appointment, Sieglinde had her transplant surgery scheduled for Christmas Day. “I saw Dr. Tauber on Christmas Day—Christmas morning,” Sieglinde recalls. “I could hardly see out of my other eye, and he saved everything. I told him, ‘It’s a miracle.’ I mean, who does that? Come in at 6 a.m. on Christmas morning to save someone’s sight?” she said. “He’s forever in my heart.”

While she’s still undergoing treatment and hopes for continued improvement, Sieglinde is already thankful for what she’s gained. “The pain is gone, and I can see better than before. When your whole head feels like it’s floating, and then that pain lifts—well, that’s a miracle.”

Thanks to the generosity of a donor and the dedication of her surgeon, Sieglinde’s pain has subsided, and her vision is steadily improving. “I’m eternally grateful,” she shared. “To the family who gave this gift, I just want to say thank you. It’s wonderful that someone would donate so that someone else could see again. I am a donor, and I will do the same.”

Sieglinde’s story is a powerful reminder of the life-changing impact of eye donation. Through one selfless gift, her pain has lifted, her vision is returning, and her spirit is renewed. “I’ll always be thankful,” she said. “Because of my donor, I get to see the world again.”