Emily.
My name is Emily, and in March 2019, I became a corneal transplant recipient.
My story starts in January of 2018 when I was a senior in high school.
I began having serious problems with my left eye: it was red, swollen,
sensitive to light, and incredibly painful. My dad and I went to the
emergency room at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, where, after many tests and exams,
I was diagnosed with acanthamoeba keratitis, a rare, difficult-to-treat microbial infection.
I had to stop going to school because I simply couldn’t keep my eye open. My senior year
took a downhill turn. I became anxious, depressed, and unsure of the future. I was trying
to decide which college I would attend in the fall, enjoy my last year of high school with my friends,
and balance everything I loved to do. Due to the severity of my eye condition, I felt hopeless
for the first time in my life.
After months of treatment, including countless eye drops, experimental light therapy at
Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, and lots of prayers, my doctors managed to cure my infection.
It was an incredible relief when my eye wasn’t as painful and red as before.
However, my vision was impaired. My doctors explained that although the infection was gone,
the scar it had left behind would obstruct my vision unless I received a corneal transplant.
I was cleared for surgery in March 2019, and on March 22nd, my parents drove me to Miami
to get my transplant at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute with tissue from Beauty of Sight.
I was only 19, and I’ll never forget the crowded waiting room, the kind nurses, and the
Nickelback was playing in the operating room. The surgery was successful. I woke up with a
patch on my eye and felt a little loopy, but I was so incredibly grateful. Over the next few weeks,
my vision gradually returned, and every doctor I saw told me how “beautiful” my graft was.
I was able to reach 20/40 vision with correction, a huge improvement from the 20/400 vision
I started with.
In August 2019, with my eye returned to perfect health, I was able to go to college
in person and have a true dorm experience at the University of Florida. My time at UF was full of joy,
spirit, and friendship. I joined a sorority and met so many wonderful girls. I worked at a sleepaway
camp in Pennsylvania and a preschool for kids with special needs. I volunteered at local schools
and churches. I studied psychology, sociology, and French. I was able to live a full and happy college
experience despite my health history or even COVID.
I graduated from UF in May 2022, and that September, I moved to France to teach English.
This was something I had dreamed of doing for years. I lived in southern France for eight months,
teaching, traveling, and eating lots of delicious food. My time abroad includes some of the best moments
of my life thus far, and I am so grateful for all of it.
After returning from France in 2023, I moved to Virginia to be closer to family. I love the seasons here.
Virginia has beautiful hiking and great wineries and restaurants. My career is going wonderfully!
I'm working with preschool-aged children with autism. Seeing their joy is deeply rewarding.
I plan to pursue a master’s degree in social work in the fall of 2024, and I hope to continue
working with children with disabilities and their families.
I often think about my donor, who I learned from the eye bank, who was a 25-year-old man.
I’m immensely grateful for the gift he and his family gave me when he became a cornea donor.
My vision and eye health are better than I have ever hoped! It's still not perfect and not without
challenges, but I’ve come so far since my transplant. “Thank you” will never be enough to my
donor’s family for restoring my sight.
