Everyday Heroes: How One Cornea Gift Changed Matt’s World

November is Eye Donation Month, a time to recognize the everyday heroes who make restored sight possible —donors and their families, eye bankers, corneal surgeons, champions of eye donation and all who work to bring the gift of sight to life. This year’s theme from the Eye Bank Association of America (EBAA) is “Everyday Heroes.” It celebrates how nearly anyone can be a cornea donor and therefore a superhero by giving the gift of sight.

At Saving Sight, we see every day how donors, medical teams, and advocates come together to change lives. Matt’s story is just one example of the profound difference these everyday heroes make.

For Matt, a cornea transplant meant the difference between fading vision and a world brought back into focus.

“I didn’t know how much a single tissue could impact someone’s life until I was faced with losing my sight,” Matt said. “It’s incredible that two people have now given me this chance to live fully.”

Matt’s journey began unexpectedly after a seemingly minor ear infection ruptured as he slept. Discharge from his ruptured eardrum, combined with dirt beneath his contact lens, led to a rare fungal infection, causing severe vision impairment.

After numerous treatments that didn’t work, Matt was referred to an ophthalmologist at the University of Kansas Health System.

“I learned about Saving Sight and a little about what could happen, and we talked about possibly looking for a donor,” Matt recalled.

Tests revealed the infection was advancing rapidly, and Matt was informed that he would need a cornea transplant to preserve any hope of sight.

“They were concerned I could lose 100% of my eyesight, and I needed a transplant ASAP,” he said.

Matt’s experience with transplants started years earlier when he received a life-saving kidney from a living donor. That experience helped him understand the power of donation, but it wasn’t until facing potential blindness that he fully appreciated how even a single tissue gift can change a life.

“I am forever grateful,” Matt

said. “Someone selflessly gave me the gift of sight, and it’s overwhelming. What did I do to deserve such love and compassion?”

The impact of his donor’s gift goes beyond restored vision, it’s a testament to human kindness and the power of eye, organ, and tissue donation. Matt hopes to honor his donor’s legacy by sharing his story and inspiring others to become registered donors.

“You might be able to save someone’s life or change their world just by checking that box on your license,” he said. “It’s a chance to help someone in a way that goes far beyond what we can understand.”

Since 1961, Saving Sight and our fellow eye banks have facilitated more than two million sight-restoring corneal transplants, each one made possible by the selfless choice of a donor and their family. Eye Donation Month is our opportunity to honor these gifts, highlight their impact, and encourage others to consider joining this life-changing movement.

This November, you can be an everyday hero too:

· Register as an eye, organ, and tissue donor.

· Share your decision with loved ones so your wishes are known.

· Support the mission by helping raise awareness about donation.

Matt’s story reminds us that a single act of generosity can transform a life forever. Through the gift of sight, donors give recipients more than vision, they give hope, independence, and the ability to fully experience the world around them.

This blog was written by Saving Sight. Thank you for your contribution.