The gift of sight – a cornea transplant

When most of us think of organ transplants, we usually think of the biggies, like the heart, the kidney, the liver – and that’s ok because it’s what we hear most about. But there’s a lesser known one that may not save a life, but it sure changes a whole life around: a cornea transplant.

When Tricia Carlisle-Northcutt, founder of Right Brain Strategies & PR , was 16 years old, she was diagnosed with an eye disorder called keratoconus . According to the National Keratoconus Foundation , “Keratoconus, often abbreviated to “KC”, is a non-inflammatory eye condition in which the normally round dome-shaped cornea progressively thins causing a cone-like bulge to develop. This results in significant visual impairment.”

Blindness occurs if scarring becomes too thick and intrusive. Special types of contacts can help keep the cornea as healthy as possible, but it is a deteriorating condition.

Tricia explained, “As the disease progressed and my sight worsened, the surgeries were also improving and the success rate too.” When she was first diagnosed, cornea surgeries were not nearly as common as they are now. “Fortunately, I lived in Memphis at the time and an incredible eye surgeon, Dr.Tom Wood, was perfecting this surgery at University of Tennessee Medical University.”

At that point, she was legally blind, had just been accepted into law school – and was mother to a 3 year old. But, she was told there was at least a 2 to 3 year wait because she was 33 years old and the list was long. Tricia picks up the story again, “But God had a different plan than the doctors and my gift came on Easter morning with a 6 am call from the hospital to come immediately – a donor cornea was available. A young man was killed in a motorcycle accident and the next recepient in line could not make it in time. I was they only one who answered her phone and could go immediately! I was on the list less than a month.”

The corneal transplant changed Tricia’s life. She began writing books, painting and became founder and president of the Children’s Volunteer Health Network, Inc , a faith-based non-profit foundation that helps provide medical, mental, and dental care at no cost to the uninsured and underinsured children of Okaloosa and Walton County, FL. So far, they have helped over 650 children with 2000 appointments. These are children who may not have been helped had Tricia not received the gift of sight and followed this new path.

When asked if she thought of organ donation before her need for one, she responded, “I didn’t think about organ donation prior. It seemed ghoulish. But now it seems miraculous. My family and friends are 100% in favor of organ donations. When you see something first hand and know the ripple effect it creates you become part of something bigger.”

Tricia offers a challenge to Blisstree.com readers and their friends and families: how many lives can be saved by checking a box on a drivers license to donate organs?

A final word from Tricia: “I remain forever thankful to that man’s family.”

~~~

Click here to read more in this organ donation series.

Images: Stock.xchng (eye, contact, OR, signing)