Ann has undergone two cornea transplant surgeries on her left eye. She received a transplant in June 2018 and then a short time later in July 2018. The first transplant was not successful for unknown reasons. Five weeks later, the second surgery went well and she regained her vision in the eye. Her dad was also a cornea recipient.

Ann has Fuch’s Dystrophy as well as cataracts. She had cataract surgery on her left eye in early 2018. Following that she could no longer read, focus or see sharpness using the left eye. Everything was cloudy.

“Now I can see really well. Before the transplant, I had great difficulty reading.” She also experienced difficulty driving, particularly in the morning. Her vision was so cloudy she couldn’t see road signs as well as a driver should. Her vision problems also impacted other daily activities. “I need to read for my job. I also love to read for pleasure, and enjoy photography, nature and gardening. I can’t envision a world without sight. The surgeries saved my sight and way of life.”

“When people think about donation, they think about organs. But they need to realize how such a small thing, like a cornea, can have a huge impact on lives.”

“One of my main hobbies is photography, so participating in this project was a perfect fit. It’s so great to share with other people the things I have seen because of the gift of sight.” Ann was in her garden on her birthday in September when all of a sudden a swarm of butterflies appeared. “I guess it was nature’s birthday gift to me. I am so fortunate to have been there at that exact moment and thankful I could see all the detail.”