| Donors |
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Melissa
Bailey
When Rita Bailey's ten-year-old daughter Melisa died of a stroke,
Rita made a decision to donate that resulted in ten transplants,
renewing the lives of ten suffering people. Rita reflects, "Melisa
was a wonderful little person and I feel she would be glad to
know that others have lived and benefited because of her."
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John
Bush
Mary Bush is proud that the eye tissue donation of her husband,
John, made sight possible for another person. Discussing the
wish to donate with a close family member helps ensure one's
wishes will be followed. |
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Mary
Williams and her son, Matthew
When
twelve year old Matthew died suddenly, Mary Williams and her
family were comforted; a part of Matthew lives on in two others
through corneal transplantation.
Matthew's
Story
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For
information on becoming a donor, please see our Donation
Information.
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| Recipients |
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Vicki
Rohrman
"The first time I saw my baby Connor's face, he was six
weeks old. They brought him to me after a corneal transplant
had restored my sight. What a miracle," says Vicki Rohrman.
"I am so grateful to the family who made the decision to
donate. How do you say thank you for your future?" |
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Mandy
Patinkin
Award-winning stage, film and television performer Mandy
Patinkin had a corneal transplant with tissue recovered by a
TBI eye bank. "Facing the threat of blindness was terrifying,"
Mandy Patinkin recalls. "Overcoming that threat through a cornea
transplant is almost miraculous. As a cornea transplant recipient,
my life has been touch and transformed by this tiny piece of
tissue." |
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Mauricio
Nungaray
A virus attacked Mauricio Nungaray's right eye when he was four.
He was blind in that eye until corneal transplant surgery restored
his sight at age seven. Today, with excellent vision, Mauricio
"loves all sports," plays on a local baseball team,
and does well in his school work. His mother Regina, is dedicated
to spreading the message that donation is the greatest gift. |
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Denise
Milben
Denise Milben says her corneal transplant "gave me back
life" and thanks the anonymous donor who gave her the gift
of sight. |
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Chris
Edgar and Mark Edgar
Mark Edgar and his son Chris have an inherited condition
that destroys sight by changing the shape of the cornea. After
a while, eyeglasses don't help and contact lenses no longer
fit. Mark Edgar had his first corneal transplant more than 20
years ago. Chris had his transplant in the early nineties. Now
both can continue their work in the printing business where
sharp vision is necessary. |
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Marvin
Teng
Marvin Teng's surgeon reconstructed his knee with donated
allograft tissue. What began as a cancerous condition ended
with full mobility for this electronics test specialist. He
was able to walk three weeks after surgery and was back at
work in one month. Today, active and pain free, he has resumed
his hobbies of boating and fishing.
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Larry
Raymond
For years, Larry Raymond needed a white cane to guide his steps.
His blindness was the result of a chemical burn that scarred
his corneas. Today, after a corneal transplant, Larry's work
brings him great satisfaction, and rediscovered abilities have
expanded his world. "To be able to share my visual experiences
with my family and friends is wonderful," Larry says. "It is
very important that people donate both eye tissue and financial
support to their local eye bank so that folks like me can see
again." |
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Joe
Portillo
Joe Portillo had knee surgery, an ACL replacement with a patella
ligament provided by TBI. The surgery was successful and these
days, both knees stand up (and bend) to the demands of his work
and Joe is on the go with energy and mobility to spare. |
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Komal
Katke
A critical illness robbed Komal Katke of her sight when she
was only eight months old. After a successful corneal transplant,
Komal is now a happy healthy child whose restored sight helps
her excel at school. Komal is from India where corneal blindness
is a major public health problem. On the Indian subcontinent,
more than 10 million men women and children suffer from this
affliction. Here the International Federation of Eye and Tissue
Banks have 10 member transplant banks. |
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Abraham
McGill
By the time he was eight, H. Abraham McGill's grandmother was
blind from lattice dystrophy which nearly took his sight too.
"I was going blind until my corneal transplants," he says. "Without
them, I'd be walking around today with a guide dog." Instead,
his 20/20 corrected vision lets him lead a sighted life as a
school assistant principal. |
