Hannah's Story
Memorial Day weekend 1999 is one that Hannah’s family will never forget. On May 28, 1999, Hannah – age 6 – suffered a serious injury to her right eye that could have caused her to lose her sight. An object was thrown from a lawn mower and hit her in the right eye. The object penetrated Hannah’s cornea and lens and damaged the retina. Hannah was referred to a corneal specialist who told the family there was hope, but that it would be a long road. Hannah’s grandmother recalls being “thankful we had a road to be on.”
The corneal specialist obtained a donor cornea from the Cincinnati Eye Bank and performed a corneal transplant along with a lens implant. A retinal specialist also repaired her damaged retina. The injury, reparative surgeries and recovery process could have been stressful for such a young child, but Hannah handled it very well.
In a letter to Hannah’s corneal surgeon, Hannah’s grandmother wrote: “It has been so hard to see someone so innocent go through so much. It was such a serious injury. The past six months have been the hardest we have had to face. We have seen Hannah show us what courage is and we have seen miracles happen.”
One can rarely put into words the gratitude felt by this family or others whose loved ones have received the gift of sight through corneal transplantation. Unless you have a personal connection to someone who is waiting for an organ or tissue transplant, maybe you haven’t given donation much thought. Let Hannah be your inspiration as she has been to her family. Talk to your family about your thoughts on eye, tissue and organ donation.