In 2011, Doni noticed her right eye was extremely tired and weepy while her left eye was blurry. She had never been to visit an eye doctor before. Doni had some money in a health savings account she needed to use so decided to make an appointment. She couldn’t see the “big E” on the top of the chart with her left eye, and the doctor said her left cornea was extremely uneven and thinning.

She was referred to a surgeon who decided a cornea transplant in the left eye was the best option. Unfortunately she had extreme pressure in the eye during the surgery, and the transplant didn’t last long. She had it replaced, but again that didn’t work out well either. In 2017, she visited a different eye surgeon, who performed yet another cornea transplant on her left eye. “That one was a success! I am so appreciative of my surgeon.”

Doni recently completed an Iron Man Triathlon in Canada in July 2019. The last triathlon she completed was in 2005. She hadn’t been able to run as much as she wanted to due to complications with her vision.

She is extremely grateful she had the opportunity to write letters to her donor families. “It was very important for me to be able to thank them. We lost our daughter in 2005 and would love to hear from her recipients.”