Cantigny Park in Wheaton
provided the setting March
19 for a beautiful ceremony
honoring eye donors
from the past 18 months.
A record-breaking 350
people representing 120
donor families made for
a magnificent celebration
of those who gave the gift
of sight.
This year’s tribute,
Celebrating Sight, gave attendees
the chance to come together and
share their experiences of loss
and renewed hope. The tribute
also featured emotional speeches
from donor mom, Joy Beach, and
cornea recipient, Sarah Mittler.
Joy spoke about losing her son, John, in a motorcycle
accident on his 22nd birthday. “What I have learned is
that the beautiful way my son saw the world is carried on
by those lives he saved, whose sight he saved,” said Joy.
“My son, who saw the beauty and potential in all things,
lives on in the gifts he gave.”
In addition to Joy’s passionate story, Sarah shared her
personal journey of vision loss and renewed vision.
“What do I say to the person who gave me my sight and
life back? Thank you is not big enough,” Sarah expressed.
“The generosity of my donors is overwhelming. The
courage and strength of their families is more than I
can even comprehend.”
Eversight Illinois Executive Director Diane Hollingsworth
and Professional Relations Liaison Mary Peete also shared
their gratitude. As Mary read each donor’s name aloud,
volunteers handed the families a single rose. Throughout
the ceremony, framed photographs of the donors were on
display, acting as a wonderful reminder of the people
who truly make our mission possible.
Eversight Illinois is incredibly grateful to the donors and
their families who say ‘yes’ to donation, who change the
lives of others through the gift of sight, and who continue
to support our efforts. It is our honor to hold this annual
tribute, allowing new families each year to celebrate the
lives and generosity of their loved ones.
Surgeon Training
Advancing Treatment Options
One of the many ways Eversight Illinois supports surgeons
and helps them implement the latest surgical techniques
is through hands-on trainings, or wet labs. On Saturday,
April 2, we hosted our first DMEK wet lab at the UIC
Eye and Ear Infirmary’s new Cless Family Ophthalmology
Training and Simulation Center.
Eight local surgeons and two cornea fellows attended
the day-long training. Eversight Illinois was privileged to
have five experienced surgeons to provide one-on-one
instruction, as well as insight into their best practices and
helpful techniques regarding the DMEK procedure.
Speakers and instructors included: Dr. Elmer Tu,
Dr. Jonathan Rubenstein, Dr. Parag Majmudar,
Dr. Pankaj Gupta and Dr. Soledad Cortina.
Spring 2016 | V I S I O N | Page 6
Dr. Parag
Majmudar
at our recent
wet lab.
DMEK is a surgical procedure preferred by many surgeons
for patients suffering from certain conditions, such as
Fuchs’ dystrophy, resulting in better post-transplant
outcomes. By providing this training, Eversight is helping
surgeons develop skills to expand new treatment options
for patients.
“Eversight Illinois is grateful for our partnership with local
surgeons who are excited to facilitate this valuable learning
opportunity,” said Mary Peete, Professional Relations
Liaison. “The DMEK wet lab was a great success and will
help us continue to provide the gift of sight
to all those in need.”