My story began on a June day in 2013.  Probably well before then, but I remember this one day in particular as the day I realized something was really wrong with my right eye.  I glanced to my right to acknowledge a co-worker in my doorway and immediately realized the vision in my right eye was so cloudy I couldn’t see anything but a silhouette.  I had been experiencing blurriness, halos, cloudiness, burning and an overall gradual decline in my vision for quite some time, which had been diagnosed and treated by my optometrist as dry eye.  On this fateful day, I knew I had bigger problems to deal with.  I immediately contacted an eye specialist in my area and within one week I was sitting in a cornea specialist’s office hearing the news that a recurrent infection had caused irreversible scarring and damage to my cornea; my vision would only worsen.  Thus began my journey through not one, but two, DSAEK (partial) corneal transplants in my right eye.

By the time I underwent my first transplant more than a year later in October of 2014, I was experiencing pain and vision deficiencies demanding that my life revolve around my worsening eye condition.  The pain was constant, I experienced daily headaches, eye exhaustion, extreme light sensitivity and, obviously, my vision itself continued to decline.  My eye condition touched every facet of my life: my marriage, my children, my job, my social life and my ability to remain physically active.  I eventually found myself planning my life around my condition and my days became identified as “good eye days” or “bad eye days.”  I was anxious to have the procedure, get through the recovery and return to living my life the way it was before.

Two weeks after surgery, I was advised by my doctor that my new cornea was not responding or functioning as expected.  At two months post-op, my transplant was deemed unsuccessful and a second transplant procedure was recommended.  I elected to transfer my medical care to Duke Eye Center and began working toward my second transplant with my new surgeon, Dr. Taras Semchyshyn.  In September of 2015, I underwent my second DSAEK corneal transplant performed by Dr. Semchyshyn.  Thus began my second round of recovery complete with multiple applications of anti-rejection eye drops, fingers crossed and high hopes for success.

In the five months since my second corneal transplant, my right eye vision has improved to where it stands now at 20/40 with no correction.  My new cornea is clear with no cloudiness, no halos, no light sensitivity and, best of all, no pain!  I’m able to exercise and run and play with my daughters without fear of injuring myself.  I am able to stay up late and get up early without suffering the painful consequences of a severely swollen cornea.  My life no longer revolves around my troublesome and debilitating eye condition.

I can’t thank both of my donor families enough for choosing to donate their loved ones’ eyes so that others like me might see.  I will always remember to take the time to enjoy and appreciate the visual beauty that surrounds me not only for myself, but also for my donor, whose selfless act of generosity has given me the most precious gift I have ever received.

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I am grateful for the gift of sight and for individuals making the decision to donate life. My vision has been corrected with glasses since the age of 5. While a senior in nursing school I began to have headaches and a decrease in visual acuity that could that required special lenses in my glasses to correct my vision. My optometrist diagnosed me with Keratoconus, a disease that causes the cornea to become cone-shaped. After graduating from nursing school and 2 years into my career I began to have problems reading normal handwriting, increase in headaches and problems while driving.

My doctor referred me to an ophthalmologist who informed me I had to be placed on a waiting list for a cornea. Thankfully that wait was short lived. In less than a week and the day before Thanksgiving I received my first cornea. An officer that was killed in the line of duty was a donor and a year younger than myself. I will never be able to thank his family enough for honoring his wishes. Five years later I had to receive my second transplant due the disease progression in my non-transplanted cornea.  I was able to schedule surgery due to the increase in the number of donors. This all began 23 years ago and my corneas are great and my vision is corrected with glasses. Without the “gift” from donors I would not have been able to fulfill my life time dream of being a nurse. Thanks to all the donors and for their families making sure their wishes are fulfilled.

Boy Born with Scarred Cornea Can See Beautifully Thanks to Cornea Donor

Eye injuries are a constant concern for children and adults who participate in sports. But for a young Illinois resident, the threat of blindness loomed long before he ever took to the field.

Anthony was born with compromised vision due to a scarred cornea, an injury that prevents light from passing through the pupil. As he grew older, his eyesight worsened until his vision was less than 20 percent. Anthony had become an avid soccer player and fan despite his near-blinding eye ailment, but the game was becoming difficult for him to play with such poor eyesight.

When Anthony’s vision became a threat to his safety, he underwent two corneal transplant surgeries to restore his vision. Following the operation, Anthony was reluctant to open his eyes.

“He wouldn’t open either eye because he thought he was blind,” said Anthony’s mom, Tobey. “The only way we could get him to do it was to turn on the TV to the World Cup.”

After being nearly blind for the first six years of his life, Anthony could finally see the world around him, thanks to the generosity of his cornea donor and his skilled medical team.

Anthony is now a teenager preparing to start high school and is taking full advantage of his restored sight. He is an active member of his school’s basketball, cross country and track teams; and he has become a star student as well. Recently, he competed in the Illinois State Science Fair with a presentation on peripheral vision.

Anthony is grateful for his sight every day and enjoys any opportunity he has to share his experience with others. He and his family continue to honor his gift by promoting the Donate Life mission and encouraging others to become registered eye, organ and tissue donors.

Story provided courtesy of Illinois Eye Bank

Anita Reeder Hardister was a giver all of her life. It was in her DNA I suppose. At a mere eleven years old she witnessed her father give his life in an attempt to save a young woman from drowning. Our family was awarded the Carnegie Hero Medal of Honor for his fatal sacrifice. That level of giving shaped her and lent to who she would become.

My Mama always gave even if it meant she went without. She was a teacher to many children in and out of the classroom. She dedicated her entire life to giving of herself in some capacity. She never wanted accolades and at her funeral, I began to learn of many of the things she did in private to help others. She didn’t want fanfare or praise, she gave because she felt it so deeply in her soul to assist those in need in any way she could manage to help them. She passed on July 30, 2011, and to this day, I still am learning of the things she did to reach others and give them hope. She was adamant about organ donation and I know she would be thrilled to know her donation to your foundation assisted someone in seeing the world as she did.

I was her only child and the bond we shared was like nothing I can begin to put into words. She loved me so fiercely and she instilled in me the need to give as well. She said I was the love of her life, and then when my sons, Aaron Seth and Luke were born, she found room in her huge heart to make them the loves of her life as well.

She loved music, sewing, and reading every book she could get her hands on. Her quick wit and storytelling ability were a source of constant entertainment for every person who had the honor of knowing her. She took great pride in teaching Sunday school at our church for twenty-plus years. She didn’t brag but she was quite the writer as well. The last written work of my Mother. She was awake at two in the morning on July 20, 2011, unable to get up on her own. She called me into her room and ask me to crawl onto her big, comfy bed beside her. She told me she wanted me next to her as I read her finished product. It was much like the days of my childhood when I found safety and security, nestled next to Mama, reading to each other. The words below gave me chills, in my heart, I truly believe she knew her last days were upon her. I wept as I saw her handwriting had become shaky, but her grammar and punctuation were still very much intact. Our eyes met as they had so many times, and she managed to whisper, you will need this baby.I escaped to her room minutes after she was gone, and there at her beside was her well-kept notebook, pencil in the binding, and this poem there for me to see and read on my own this time. Thank you, Mama, for leaving me with such a beautiful way to see death and the legacy you left for Seth, Luke, and myself.

When Sandy was born premature in 1953, it was evident right away she had vision problems. Her left eye was turned in. She wore glasses from 6 months to her passing. In her forties, Sandy had strabismus surgery to pull the muscle and realign her eye.

Through organ donation, Sandy was able to selflessly give her eyes to two people. The gift of sight would be so meaningful to her. Out of her entire body, her eyes were the only tissue or organs able to be donated. I will praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are your works and my soul knows it well. Psalm 139:14

To know her was to love her. Sandy was a gentle spirit. Her children and grandchildren adored their Mimi.

Our son and brother, Ian Michael Roof, was born on April 15, 1986 and passed away at the age of 36 on January 25, 2023. 

Ian was an active child and that continued on into adulthood.  As a young child he would get home from school and go straight to the kitchen table to complete his homework so he could get outside to play.  Playing and having fun was on the top of his priority list.  He was an exceptional athlete as well, perhaps more because of his understanding of how to play the games than for his natural ability.

Ian attended the University of South Carolina and received a BA degree in 2009.  While there, during one semester, he played on nine intramural teams including men’s basketball, coed basketball, soccer, coed soccer, dodgeball, coed dodgeball etc. etc.  We often wondered how he even completed that semester successfully.

He continued his education at the local community colleges and received a degree in Radiology Technology.  He worked as an X-Ray technician and then obtained credentials to do MRIs.  His last job was conducting MRIs at a local hospital.  We have been told that he was very good at this job-particularly dealing with children who had to have scans.  His ability to put people at ease was his gift.

Ian did not know a stranger and people gravitated to him for his friendship.  He was a good listener, provided sound advice, enjoyed laughing and was by all accounts the life of any party.  He was asked to be a groomsman in more weddings than most of us attend in our lifetime- that is how special he was to others.  His quick wit, willingness to help others, and outgoing personality endeared him to many.  This was indicative in the number of people who came to his service – estimated at about 500.  They came from all over the country, and in attendance were childhood friends, teachers, coaches, co-workers, fellow college students, neighbors, and new acquaintances.  Many tears were shed. 

Ian would be pleased that others have benefited from his life.  We hope that his ability to donate parts of himself bring everlasting joy to the recipients and that they too can enjoy their life to the fullest as he did every day.