Centralight

11 centralight winter'14 Alex Teska Alex Teska, '10, considers herself fortunate. She gets to hear the best stories – poignant ones about people who are blind or nearly blind, and then they can see again. Their worlds are a dark blur; some see no color. Many lose their sight gradually because of genetics or disease, others suff er traumatic corneal burns or cuts. Many can't see to read a book, recognize faces, drive or appreciate a stand of sugar maples in the fall. And then their vision is restored because of the generous gifts of others. That's where Teska's job as community relations liaison for the Ann Arbor-based Michigan Eye-Bank comes in. The Eye-Bank helps fulfi ll the wishes of people who want to donate their corneas. Teska, 26 and originally from Trenton, hears the moving stories of transplant recipients who wake up from their surgeries and can already see better and more – and their vision only improves with time. They're overwhelmed with appreciation and gratitude as their worlds are transformed. She hears from people like Casandra Perry, who, at 38, learned she was going blind. "I couldn't see the details of things like blades of grass," Perry says. Her diagnosis: Fuch's dystrophy, a painful, degenerative disease that distorts vision before robbing sight altogether. Six years ago, the Northville woman received two transplants. Weeks after her surgeries, her world was bright, colorful and detailed again. "The things I had been missing for years started to come into focus. Like the freckles on my son's face," Perry says. The decisions of strangers saved her vision and helped her remain the sole provider for her daughter, Liz, and son, Jack. "The Michigan Eye-Bank gave me hope and they gave me sight." Teska, who earned her degree in political science, tells Perry's story often. And there are so many more – like the grandmother who was able to see the faces of her grandchildren for the very fi rst time, the artist who was able to return to her painting after years in the dark and the children who sometimes are able to see clearly for the fi rst time and experience things they never imagined. "I get to hear their stories and share them with others to increase awareness," Teska says. "Everyone's job at the eye bank is an important piece of the puzzle, but I feel lucky in that I get to see the results. "These people become family because of the deep and wonderful connection through the gift of sight," Teska says. "Hearing a recipient or donor family's story is always a stark reminder of the amazing cause that I work for." > 2,044 people in Michigan became eye donors in 2013, enabling others to see again 11 centralight winter'14

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