This is the category for the tribute stories that will be shared on the success stories page.
Dear Special Messengers of Hope:
As a recent recipient of a donated cornea, I can attest to how such a gift can be life changing.
Following my procedure, the doctor said she had some good and bad news. She indicated I couldn’t have received a better graft, but it came from a young child, which makes this letter particularly difficult.
At Miracles In Sight, we provide many services related to the restoration of sight, including research and professional development, but our primary focus is recovering corneal tissue from those who chose to donate it—and then providing that tissue to ophthalmologists around the world for corneal transplant. One of the organizations we collaborate with is Operation Sight in our neighboring state of South Carolina. Operation Sight is, like us, a nonprofit organization. They provide free surgical care to uninsured South Carolina residents suffering from cataracts or urgent, sight threatening retinal disorders. Since they started in 2011, they have performed over 270 free surgeries.Read More
Francisco “Paco” Rodriguez was a special man to everyone he encountered. Exemplifying what it meant to live life to the fullest, he loved everyone with abundance and always treated everyone with respect.
Paco lived a full life. Born-and-raised in a small town of Mezquital in Mexico, he was a true cowboy at heart. When my parents decided they wanted to start their lives in the United States, my dad never let his language barrier dismay him from the pursuit of his “American Dream”.
With his grit and determination he became a U.S. Citizen, put all three of his children through college, successfully started and operated his own small business, and even started his life-long dream of building his “retirement” home in his hometown of Mezquital.
Throughout his 58 years of life, he was able to see many parts of the world with his business. Owning and operating a dental lab that fabricated dental prosthesis, my dad held a certain passion for seeing others smile with confidence. A particular aspect of his life that was dear to him was joining mission trips across different continents and providing dental care to the underserved. It brought him such joy and I can honestly say, I never saw his eyes sparkle in quite the same way as when he was able to give someone else a new smile.
All in all though, despite a plethora of options, I think he considered his greatest accomplishment as being adored and cherished by his wife, two daughters, and son.
Holding the honor of being his eldest daughter, I never pass a chance to sing his praises. Beyond his genuine joy for life, my dad loved deeply and earnestly, listened attentively, and always gave more than he received. Thus, as sorrowful as his untimely passing was, my dad being an organ, tissue and eye donor was never a shock. During our time of great grief, it gave our family such pride to know that even in his absence, he was still able to share apart of himself with others in need.
As much good as he did during his life, he continues do good even beyond. My family and I are so thankful to Miracles In Sight in helping my dad fulfill another one of his dreams. To the recipients of his corneas, I hope you see the world as my dad saw it- full of love, color and hope.
-Anna Rodriguez Carter, Daughter of donor Francisco J. Rodriguez
I’m sure a “thank you” card is not really sufficient to say how thankful I am for the very generous and thoughtful gift made to me through your beloved donor.
“Here is a little bit about Courtney.
Courtney was always striving to be the best and enjoy life to its fullest. She was valedictorian and graduated top of her class in nursing school. She absolutely loved her job as a labor and delivery nurse. She even had to deliver a few babies on her own.
She loved life cliche as it is, she did everything she could from jumping out of plains to hiking the mountains and planning a trip to Africa.Read More
“I just wanted to share about my husband, Jim. He passed away on June 11, 2021 and his eyes were donated through your organization. His heart valves, arteries and skin grafts were also donated. Jim was a wonderful, loving, attentive husband of 42 years.Read More
