Happy Mother’s Day from The Eye-Bank! In this time of celebration and gratitude, we are reminded of how the gift of sight brightens the lives of mothers and their children, whether those children are still very young or are all grown up with kids of their own.
A daughter helps her mother stay independent
Tina took her mother to an eye specialist who diagnosed Stavroula as having Fuch’s Dystrophy, a corneal disease that progresses toward blindness. To treat the condition, Stavroula would need corneal transplants. Stavroula was nervous for the transplants, but her surgeon was able to put her at ease and answer her questions. He could even speak to her in her native language, Greek.
Just a few years ago, Tina was very concerned about her mother Stavroula’s declining vision. Stavroula grew increasingly disoriented. She struggled to do daily tasks and her walks to the local grocery store became treacherous.
Tina took her mother to an eye specialist who diagnosed Stavroula as having Fuch’s Dystrophy, a corneal disease that progresses toward blindness. To treat the condition, Stavroula would need corneal transplants. Stavroula was nervous for the transplants, but her surgeon was able to put her at ease and answer her questions. He could even speak to her in her native language, Greek.
After receiving cornea transplants in both eyes with donor eye tissue provided by The Eye-Bank, Stavroula’s sight was restored. “I see clear now,” she said, “and I am grateful to the two people who donated their eyes. God bless them.” Since her transplants, Stavroula has a renewed passion for cooking and loves to see Tina’s smiling face when she stops by to share quality time with her mom.
A young mother rejoices for her son’s gift of sight
A mother of three, Sue’s journey with her youngest son, Austin, was quite different. When Austin was just one day old, Sue learned that Austin had a condition called Peter’s Anomaly, a congenital eye disease that causes an opacity of the cornea. In order to have eyesight, he would need cornea transplants in both eyes. Austin received his first transplant with donor eye tissue provided by The Eye-Bank when he was just ten weeks old. And the surgery was success. A few months later, he had a second transplant and recovered well.
Austin’s mom, Sue, is extremely grateful for the generous gifts that allowed her son to see. “If I could speak with Austin’s donors, I would thank them for giving Austin is sight back. He’s a very happy boy who loves to smile at everyone.”
Today, Austin has clear eyes and loves running around with his mom and his older brothers. He will be two years old in June.
