“I talked with Eversight for about 40 minutes to finalize
the donation. I will be forever thankful for their kindness
and compassion.”
Daniel was able to donate his corneas and give sight to
two people in need.
“People always talked
about his blue eyes. It was
his strongest trait,” Kathy
said. “To have given this
gift, it helps me feel that
a part of Daniel continues
to live.”
When Kathy and her children returned home from the
hospital, she came to that green chair where they had
shared so much. Beside it, her son found a letter in a large
kettle pot where Daniel used to store his papers and notes.
The letter was from Dan, written to their three children.
“I think he knew something wasn’t right and he wanted
to make sure they knew how much he loved them.”
In his letter he told his children how proud he was of
them, and at the end he signed it with “Love.”
The day after Daniel’s funeral, Kathy and her children
honored his memory with a tattoo of his final word
to them.
Welcome Dr. Hood
It was the ability to positively
affect peoples’ lives that drew
Dr. Christopher Hood to
the field of ophthalmology.
As the newest member of
Eversight Michigan’s Board
of Medical Directors, he hopes
to affect even more.
“This is a chance to make a difference on a larger
scale, to make an impact beyond my individual
patients,” said Dr. Hood, a specialist in cornea,
cataract and refractive surgery at the University
of Michigan’s Kellogg Eye Center.
As Medical Director, Hood will help ensure that
Eversight continues to provide the highest quality
tissue for research and sight-saving procedures
performed around the world.
Lindenauer Internship
Two organizations are
near and dear to Marilyn
Lindenauer’s heart:
Eversight and the University
of Michigan School of
Public Health. Through a
generous donation of $50,000, these two passions
have merged to create the Eversight Marilyn R.
Lindenauer Internship.
“The field of eye banking is changing rapidly,”
Marilyn said. “My husband [Dr. Martin Lindenauer]
and I created this internship to provide students
with the opportunity to work on strategic projects
to guide Eversight.”
Today, Kathy and her children carry Daniel’s love
everywhere they go. They will forever remember the many
gifts he gave – to his community, to his family and to the
two strangers who can now see today.
Kathy encourages everyone to take the
final step. Joining the Donor Registry
is easy:
• Visit us online at
eversightvision.org/michigan
• Tell your family about your decision
to be a donor.
The inaugural internship has been awarded
to Sandra Giramahoro, who is pursuing her
master’s degree in Health Behavior and Health
Education. Her focus will be on projects
connected to international eye banking
development.
Marilyn received a master’s degree from the
U-M Department of Health Management
and Policy prior to serving as President
and CEO of Eversight, then Midwest EyeBanks, from 1989-2004. A true visionary,
she led the organization through a
period of tremendous change and
growth. She now serves on the
Eversight Board of Directors as
President Emerita.