November is Eye Donation Month and spreading awareness about Organ, Eye and Tissue donation is my passion. Please indulge me, just for a moment as I share this story. Life is hard!
One day everything is fine, the next day your world is turned upside down. When your very being is crushed, you find yourself asking, "why", all the while knowing there is not a definitive answer. It is during the hardest of times you discover how resilient you really are.
1996, my daughter was just 3 years old when a rare virus attacked her vision. Within two months, she was completely blind in her right eye and her vision was severely compromised in her left eye. Numerous trips to doctors, emergency rooms and specialists could not diagnose the problem.
We were referred to Barnes Children's Hospital in St. Louis, MO. After many tests, we were told that Sarah would need a cornea transplant. Not really comprehending anything we were told, we were placed on the donor waiting list. A lifetime journey had begun.
The call came early on Friday, August 23, 1996. A tissue donor had been found. We were to be in St. Louis the following Monday for the transplant.
As a mom, I was devastated to learn that my daughter would have to endure this trial; yet, thankful that her situation was not life threatening. Some children were undergoing lung, heart, and kidney transplants that morning as well. Anxious parents filled the waiting area for news about their little ones and the effects of stress and fear were evident on the faces of everyone in that room.
The wait seemed like an eternity and thankfully everything went great. However, I was not prepared to see my baby girl in recovery. She seemed so tiny, so fragile. Hooked up to an IV, monitors and other equipment, her eye covered with a patch, and her arms placed inside braces to prevent her from touching her eye. Weekly check-ups turned into bi-weekly check-ups, then monthly visits and eventually annual visits for 28 years.
A typical cornea transplant lasts between 5-8 years. We were originally told that the hope was that she might be able to tell a cat from a dog. My girl surpassed all statistics. Fast forward to the present. Sarah graduated with her Doctorate in Music Arts (Flute) from the University of Kentucky and recently celebrated her two-year wedding anniversary.
Our lives were not the only lives that were forever changed that day. The lives of our donor family were also changed forever that day. While ours is a story of thankfulness, the lives of our donor family were filled with sorrow and grief.
Our donor was only 18 years old; yet he and his family demonstrated the ultimate act of love. He gave everything he had, to someone he had never met, so that others might have life or an enhanced life. If it were not for our donor, "Our Hero", this story would have been very different. Because of our Hero's gift, our daughter can see! One thing is certain, his legacy of life shines through her eyes.
You too can leave a legacy of Life. Register to be a donor today.
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