Throughout my life I have been mighty lucky—things have gone my way much more often than I deserve. I felt it would be my role to give back, yet I found myself in the situation of needing eye surgery and being the recipient of someone else’s goodwill.

Mark Smith

My story starts a long time ago, although I wasn’t aware of it. I’ve never had very good eyesight and just thought that it was something I would live with forever. And then it got worse. I learned I have a disease which affects the innermost layer of my cornea. I needed to have the bottom two layers of my cornea removed and replaced. It’s an incredibly intricate procedure. Through the wonder of science and generous contributions of transplant donors, I have the opportunity to see the world, not through my own eyes, but through those of others.

I can only hope to do justice to the donor’s memory as I look at the world through his eyes. When I met a donor family, I was able to put into perspective the nature of what this is all about. In order for me to benefit, someone else has died. And yet, in a very real sense, they live on because of the good that has been done, not just for me, but for many other people.

Story submitted by Mark Smith