“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.

A tribute to Guy Giesen: A loving father to two children, grandfather to three, and husband to his high school sweetheart of 48 years, Guy had a smile for everyone he encountered.

From coaching to the stands, Guy was always present and cheering for his children every chance he got. He was a Master Craftsman in the Ceramic Tile Business. His motto was “Quality not Quantity” and he lived up to it. Guy loved the outdoors, fishing, and hanging out at the ranch.

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

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

NFL football fans, especially Pittsburgh Steelers fans, will certainly recognize the name Jack “Hydroplane” Deloplaine. Drafted by the Steelers in 1976, Jack was a talented running back who earned his nickname, and a Super Bowl ring, by being particularly effective running in the rain. But he garnered an even greater reputation for his humility, kindness and generosity.

Jack passed away in early August of 2022 at the age of 68. Honoring his wishes, his corneas were donated to Miracles In Sight.

Although Jack was not officially registered as an organ donor until later in life, he and his wife, Kathy, discussed the decision long ago. As former Director of Cardiology at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh and Assistant Vice President of Cardiac Services at AnMed Health Medical Center in Anderson, S.C., Kathy knew the importance of organ and tissue donation. “I know how life-saving and life-changing it can be,” she adds.Read More

My name is Demetria Jackson. I am the daughter of Tyese Jackson Miller. I wanted to just share a little about my mother. My mom was SC State Mentor for more than 20 years, she was also an arbitrator for the state of South Carolina. She was also a chaplain and volunteered at DDJ for years. She worked with children at all stages in their life rather they were considered hopeless. She never believed in bad kids, just bad choices. My mom had three kids My brother Billy Demacrius Jackson he lived to be 19 years old before his life was cut short do to gun violence. This only made my mom’s passion for her community grow and made her more dedicated to reach more youth. There is my brother Edward Jackson and myself. She was an amazing grandmother or nana as they loved her, Mickey Jackson, Dashawn Brown, Diamond Brown ,Edward Jackson Jr , Saperia Jackson and the youngest who was 4 years old at her passing Elijah Jackson. She was a Christian an Evangelist she loved God ,her family and her community. I could say so much about the woman she was and the legacy she left behind. As her only daughter I desire to simply live on and support the legacy . She was a wife, a devoted sister and honorable loving friend. Read More