I just wanted to thank you for the beautiful blanket in honor of my mother, Sheila Corbin. She was the strongest woman I ever knew. She was loving, generous, and selfless. She loved her family more than anything in this world, and the fact that she will live on through someone else gives me great comfort. I am blessed to have had such a great mother and I truly hope whoever received her donation, receives the same strength she embodied. Thank you again.
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.
The family of donor Geraldine “Gerry” Madden provided the story of her amazing life.
“In talking about writing her obituary, our family found that there were clear main themes in my mother’s life; her love for her family (extended, immediate, grandkids; everyone, she was the glue that held everyone together); her love of her friends; her fierce initiative and love of her career and getting things done; her strong faith; her life of service to others and compassion; and her creativity and love of creating things. That may sound like too much for one person to accomplish in their life but I assure you, we are not embellishing or exaggerating the full life she lived. As the obituary says, Gerry Madden was a relentless force for love and light. All of us feel her loss deeply, and will forever.Read More
At Miracles In Sight, we provide many services related to the restoration of sight, including research and professional development, but our primary focus is recovering corneal tissue from those who chose to donate it—and then providing that tissue to ophthalmologists around the world for corneal transplant. One of the organizations we collaborate with is Operation Sight in our neighboring state of South Carolina. Operation Sight is, like us, a nonprofit organization. They provide free surgical care to uninsured South Carolina residents suffering from cataracts or urgent, sight threatening retinal disorders. Since they started in 2011, they have performed over 270 free surgeries.Read More
Dear Special Messengers of Hope:
As a recent recipient of a donated cornea, I can attest to how such a gift can be life changing.
Following my procedure, the doctor said she had some good and bad news. She indicated I couldn’t have received a better graft, but it came from a young child, which makes this letter particularly difficult.
Hello,
This may come off as strange or invasive (I truly hope that it does not), however I’ve been wanting to reach out to you for some time now. My name is Ashley, and I am the daughter of the man who donated his eyes to you. I want you to know that upon the unexpected loss of my dad, receiving the news that he has helped someone so immensely brought great comfort to me and to the rest of my family. Read More
