My brother was an amazing human being.  He was three years older than me, and he was my hero since the day I was born.  He read every book we owned to me and my sister and was always reading, learning, studying, and exploring to learn more than most young boys his age.  Our childhood was filled with wonder and excitement because Doug was constantly introducing us to the solar system through his telescope, microorganisms through his microscope, and amazing stories and facts through the books he read and shared with us.  

His eyes saw many wonderful wonders and there are not enough words to express how soothing they were when he looked at you.  

I found out I had cancer when I was in my 20’s.  He came straight to the hospital and without saying a word I could tell he was there to support and offer me comfort just from the look in his eyes.  

I loved him, looked up to him, and always wanted to make him proud.  We laughed, sang, played games, and had the most amazing friendship that any siblings could possibly have.  

I would like to say to the recipient of his donation these words.  God Bless you and keep you safe and healthy and please know that the donation of my brother was completely out of love and grace.  Those two words completely describe my amazing brother.  He loved everyone and loved God and it showed in everything he did in his life.  May you live long and love your people and enjoy your life.  I find some comfort in my tremendous grief that part of my brother lives on in someone else.  

God Bless,

Brenda Haynes

Hi, I wasn’t sure how to start this letter. It’s a hard one to write. It’s been about 4 months since we lost my husband and dad to our 13-year-old girl. I wanted to write the ones whose lives will be changed by our sacrifice to let them know we are happy about the donation he was able to make. I wanted to tell you a few things about him…

He was a loving father and husband.

He loved Clemson Football even during their losing streaks.

He was a good provider and loved cooking for us, especially on special occasions.

He loved to travel around the area and would get us up at random times just to go to places like the beach and mountains.

He was strong and stubborn and that got him through so much in his life. 

He was old-fashioned in so many ways.

He loved watching shows like Andy Griffin and old Westerns and anything about cars and motorcycles.

Years before he passed, he loved riding motorcycles but as time went on, he could no longer do that.

He was a hard worker sometimes too hard, he loved to be on the go and sometimes that was a bad thing. He told me I taught him to enjoy the small things and made him to be a better man. He made me better too.

My advice on how to honor what he has given you is to enjoy your life to the fullest. Enjoy the small things in life and take time for family and friends because it can be taken at a moment’s notice. We lost him very quickly and wish every day we could have more time with him. Life is too short.

With Blessings for your future.

-Your donor family.

Guy was born on October the 25, 1955 in Austin Tx to Frank and Betty Giesen. He grew up on Hancock Drive in Austin where he had many adventures and made many friends. Guy loved motorcycles and throughout his teen years he threw newspapers and cut grass to earn money to purchase his bikes. He was also into sports and grew up playing Baseball and Football. His Senior year in High School while traveling to a Football game he looked out of the bus window and down into the car beside it and saw a girl. That girl not only became his girlfriend the next week but his wife of 48 years. We married 3 months after our High School Graduation on August 31, 1974. In April of 1976 we welcomed our baby boy to the world and Guy took on the role of being a wonderful loving Daddy. We were again blessed in February of 1984 with a baby girl. Guy was our son’s baseball coach and served on the Little League Board in many positions over the years. He also coached our daughter the couple of years she played softball. He was there for every football and baseball game our son ever played and he was that Daddy that traveled around everywhere to the gymnastics meets and was always there to cheer on his favorite cheerleader.

Guy loved the outdoors and he loved taking the kids hunting and fishing. That was a favorite activity that he enjoyed until days before he Flew Home With the Angels.

Guy was a Master Craftsman in the Ceramic Tile Business. He learned the trade and became one of the Best around. He owned his own business and was well known around the Central Texas area. His motto was “Quality not Quantity” and he lived up to it.

Guy was also known for his smile by all who knew him, even on his bad days he was smiling. His smiles were always bigger and brighter when his three Grandchildren were around. He loved watching them do the things they loved…..Choir, Cheerleading, Stockshows, Baseball❤

One of his favorite activities with the Grandchildren was hanging out at the ranch. In 2021 we sold our home of 41 years in Austin Texas and started the process of building our Country Cottage in Fischer Texas. We moved in on February 9, 2022 and began what we thought would be many years of making happy memories at our “Little Piece of Paradise”. Guy built his “Man Building” with a “Party Porch” attached. He loved going out there and hanging out and listening to his favorite music from ’70’s Rock to Texas Country.

Guy was a loving person who had many many close friends. He was a kind and giving man. Our Son-n-law summed up Guy’s life up by saying “Guy had such a big and giving heart that it just finally wore out”❤

Our family finds comfort in knowing that someone is seeing through his eyes and he is still seeing through them.

God Bless You, Your Organization and the amazing Doctors that make Miracles happen.

Sincerely,
Dona Giesen

“I was the blessed recipient of cornea tissue that changed my life unlike anything previous or ever will. I now see the world through more grateful eyes and it shall never be looked at the same again.” – Shelly Cleek, Corneal Tissue Recipient

It is always a beautiful thing to hear a recipient’s story after regaining their sight. Thank you, Shelly, for your kind words and heart for your donor family.

Dylan Charles Stone easily won the hearts of nearly everyone he met. He had a warm demeanor and a friendly vibe that made others happy to help him out anytime he asked. His family and his friends had his unwavering devotion. He was entertaining and funny and one of the most approachable people you could ever meet. He especially loved spending time with his loved ones. His quick wit, happy-go-lucky attitude, and infectious grin made everyone he connected with feel better and his family absolutely adored him for it.

He was a huge sports fan and a die-hard supporter of the Washington Capitals, and the Florida State Seminoles, and he never wavered in his allegiance to his hometown NFL team, the Washington whatever they’re called these days. He developed a lifelong passion for and expertise in constructing and collecting intricate lego sets, especially anything Star Wars related. He was a creative chef who approached food with the same whimsey and fun as he did most things in life. He was a major movie buff who never missed the opportunity to catch the latest horror flick or hilarious comedy film and could often be heard laughing out loud to himself while binge-watching shows like Sponge Bob, The Family Guy, or Bob’s Burgers on Comedy Central. One of his favorite past-times was listening to music. Dylan’s interests ranged from Mac Miller to Chicago to Cage the Elephant and over time he developed an impressive knowledge base of songs and artists from almost every genre.

Born with a fighter’s spirit and the soul of a champion, Dylan always found a way to make the most out of difficult situations. Despite all the health issues he faced throughout his precious 28 years, he always looked on the bright side of life and he never let go of his “get knocked down 7 times, get back up 8” mentality. This was most recently evident last month when he proudly celebrated over 500 days of sobriety. Dylan’s most courageous and selfless gesture was his priceless gift of organ donation. He donated 6 of his major organs, saving the lives of 4 individuals that will have a long-lasting impact on those families for generations to come. He leaves behind a beautiful legacy.

Francisco “Paco” Rodriguez was a special man to everyone he encountered. Exemplifying what it meant to live life to the fullest, he loved everyone with abundance and always treated everyone with respect.

Paco lived a full life. Born-and-raised in a small town of Mezquital in Mexico, he was a true cowboy at heart. When my parents decided they wanted to start their lives in the United States, my dad never let his language barrier dismay him from the pursuit of his “American Dream”.

With his grit and determination he became a U.S. Citizen, put all three of his children through college, successfully started and operated his own small business, and even started his life-long dream of building his “retirement” home in his hometown of Mezquital.

Throughout his 58 years of life, he was able to see many parts of the world with his business. Owning and operating a dental lab that fabricated dental prosthesis, my dad held a certain passion for seeing others smile with confidence. A particular aspect of his life that was dear to him was joining mission trips across different continents and providing dental care to the underserved. It brought him such joy and I can honestly say, I never saw his eyes sparkle in quite the same way as when he was able to give someone else a new smile.

All in all though, despite a plethora of options, I think he considered his greatest accomplishment as being adored and cherished by his wife, two daughters, and son.

Holding the honor of being his eldest daughter, I never pass a chance to sing his praises. Beyond his genuine joy for life, my dad loved deeply and earnestly, listened attentively, and always gave more than he received. Thus, as sorrowful as his untimely passing was, my dad being an organ, tissue and eye donor was never a shock. During our time of great grief, it gave our family such pride to know that even in his absence, he was still able to share apart of himself with others in need.

As much good as he did during his life, he continues do good even beyond. My family and I are so thankful to Miracles In Sight in helping my dad fulfill another one of his dreams. To the recipients of his corneas, I hope you see the world as my dad saw it- full of love, color and hope.

-Anna Rodriguez Carter, Daughter of donor Francisco J. Rodriguez