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.”