01/10/2026
"When I was about a year and a half old, I fell into my family's Christmas tree and one of the needles punctured my right eye, leaving a fragment. I had the needle surgically removed a few days later, but my eye did not heal the way they anticipated. My eye was inflamed and constantly infected, which majorly affected my vision — this lasted four years, and no one could seem to find a lasting treatment or solution for these chronic problems. My family and I travelled all over Minnesota seeking answers for my very unhealthy right eye that caused me so much pain in my early years of life. Finally, Dr. Elizabeth Davis at Minnesota Eye Consultants made the decision to place me on the corneal transplant list in July 2007. On October 23, 2007, at the age of six, I underwent a corneal transplant. My life has been changed forever since my transplant. Not only was my sight restored and I was able to enjoy a now pain-free childhood, but my transplant provided me with a lifelong dream and mission of becoming an eye doctor as an attempt to give back the greatest gift that was given to me. Now, 18 years post-transplant, I am in my first year of optometry school, living out my dream – a dream that would never have been possible without my donor's generous gift of sight. I am grateful each and every day for my donor and the beauty of organ donation!" 💙💚 Thank you, Kailee, for sharing your story with us!
