Why I write
I write because I have to. In my work, I see so many amazing things every day; I feel that my family and friends (and you strangers out there, as well) deserve the opportunity to hear about my work.
I get the opportunity to work with highly intellligent, dedicated individuals. On any day, I communicate with doctors, nurses, EMT’s, medical examiners, pathologists, funeral directors, and the donors’ families who so generously give their loved ones’ tissues and their own time. From my dealings with each person, I learn something, be it about medicine, communications, the donor, life, or something about myself.
If I can share with the world the most miniscule fraction of what I learn, I will be content. After all, what good is life if it is not shared with others?
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1.
Bill Wolfe | Sunday, 14 December, 2008 at 4:18 am
I am scheduled for a cornea transplant in Jan 2009 .
I wonder if I am a good candidate for such an operation .
There are many of the younger generation who have not seen anything yet who would prophet from this operation more than I .
I have traveled the world and seen much with two good eyes,
But now I’m going blind, and being 74 years old , I wounder ?
2.
eyestowonder | Monday, 15 December, 2008 at 12:37 am
Please don’t deny yourself this opportunity. In my area, there are many cornea transplants every week. The patients’ ages range from pre-school through upper 90’s; age doesn’t make someone more or less deserving of the tissue.
At the Eye Bank, we aim to carry out the donor’s last wishes: to use their tissue to benefit others.
We ship corneas to surgeons and Eye Banks all across the country so that there is tissue for every surgery. If the tissue does not meet American standards (lower cell density, mostly), we ship it to doctors overseas, losing hundreds of dollars for every cornea we ship. We do this because we want to honor the wishes of the tissue donor- that their cornea will be used by someone in need.
The Eye Banks and surgeons don’t discriminate based on age, in fact, we depend on having cornea recipients of every age! The doctors always try to match the ages of the donor and recipient; in accepting a new cornea, you will not be depriving the younger generation of that cornea.
Please, don’t deprive yourself of a cornea transplant. There is still so much for you to see, from the stars to the smile of a grandchild. I imagine your appreciation of such sights will only increase as you see them “through new eyes.”
In accepting a cornea, you will bring joy not only to your own life, but also to the donor’s family. They will receive a letter after your operation telling them that their loved one’s tissue was transplanted. I have spoken with families, and know how important this letter is to them. For them, it means that their loved one’s legacy lives on; and that somewhere, someone’s life has been bettered.
Please accept my best wishes on your upcoming operation.
~eyestowonder