Page 7 - Summer 2020 Newsletter

Patrick with his grandparents Martha and Don, who is a bilateral corneal recipient.
Employee Spotlight:
Patrick, Recovery Manager
Every time I go to work, I have the privilege of carefully preparing and handling the most precious gifts imaginable: donated human eyes. I often find myself looking at the tiny, clear cornea, stunned by the complexity of the human body. While corneas are only half a millimeter thick and about 12 millimeters in diameter, these small flexible windows profoundly change lives!
Eye donation has impacted my own life both professionally and personally. I have worked at Lions Gift of Sight for 11 years. I have recovered eye tissue for transplant and research from more than 2,000 donors. I now have the privilege of leading the more than 30 persons who make up our recovery operation. That is the professional connection. Here is the personal: my grandfather has had two corneal transplants. Thanks to his cornea donors, he sees the smiling faces of his wife, children, and grandchildren.
My grandfather often thanks me for what I do at the eye bank, but I’m not the one who deserves thanks. Transplants are only possible because of the selfless decisions of donors and their families. So, when I approach a donor, I am always reminded that it is this person’s generosity that has brought me here and that this person will change the life of a stranger. When I gently close the eyes for the last time, I believe that the donor would be happy to know that someone else’s life will be better because of the gift of sight.
“I volunteer as a small way to thank families who have made the decision to donate their loved one’s corneas so another can see. I believe sharing my story of vision loss to sight, has made a positive impact on others.”
— Paula Corneal Recipient and Volunteer
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