For Walter McDermott, restored vision is both a gift and a responsibility. A cornea transplant recipient and member of Eversight’s New Jersey Advisory Board, Walter knows firsthand how eye donation transforms lives. After decades of vision loss and a sight-threatening infection left him legally blind, a generous donor made it possible for him to regain his independence—and inspired his lifelong advocacy for the gift of sight.
Walter’s vision challenges began early. He wore glasses in elementary school and later developed keratoconus in his right eye—a progressive condition that causes the cornea to thin and bulge, distorting vision.
For years, contact lenses assisted his sight, though they were often difficult to wear. Then, in 1992, Walter was struck in the eye by a car radio antenna, leaving his cornea permanently scarred.
That injury marked the beginning of a lifelong partnership with William H. Constad, MD, whose care helped Walter adapt and preserve his vision for years. But in 2010, Walter faced his most serious challenge yet: a rare and severe infection called acanthamoeba keratitis.
The treatment was relentless and painful, requiring medicated eye drops every half hour throughout the day for months.
“It felt like putting Clorox in your eye,” Walter recalled.
Eventually, the infection progressed, and Walter needed a sight-restoring cornea transplant in his right eye that same year.
Before surgery, Walter was legally blind. Daily tasks became obstacles—pouring a glass of water, navigating stairs, even leaving his home. His doctoral studies were put on hold, and his independence felt just out of reach.
“I remember missing the glass and pouring wine on the dining room table,” he said. “I learned how to pour things by putting my finger on the glass rim and then guiding my hand to my finger to locate the inside of the glass.”
But then came the gift of sight in 2010. Since then, Walter could once again drive, read and live fully. The cornea transplant restored not just his vision, but the possibility to return to his life.
“Becoming an eye, organ and tissue donor is an extraordinary act of generosity that creates a legacy of companion and hope,” Walter said. “Every blink, every smile, every sunrise, experienced by a recipient carries a donor family’s kindness and generosity.”
Walter and his wife, Gail, are retired educators from the Jersey City Board of Education, and both are cornea transplant recipients—a shared experience that has shaped their lives.
Beyond education, Walter has remained involved in civic and nonprofit leadership, serving in roles with retired educators' associations, financial advisory councils and historic community organizations throughout New Jersey. In 2017, he received the Sighted Guide Award from the Eyes Like Mine organization, recognizing his advocacy for individuals with vision loss.
Today, he brings his experience—personal and professional—to his role on Eversight's New Jersey Advisory Board. Walter joined the Advisory Board in 2010, the same year he received his cornea transplant.
The advisory board serves as a vital bridge between Eversight and the communities it serves—amplifying education about eye donation and transplantation, supporting fundraising efforts and events, and ensuring donor families are honored with dignity and gratitude.
“Being able to help others in need is a gift,” Walter said. “Some of the stories from those we have helped would bring tears to our eyes.”
Over the years, Walter has witnessed firsthand the impact of eye donation: a young girl returning to her classroom after a double cornea transplant; an Army veteran blinded by shattered glass who regained his sight, returned to work and built a family.
These moments reaffirm why the advisory board’s work matters—and why donor families are at the heart of everything Eversight does.
In October 2025, Walter spoke at Eversight’s Donor Family Gathering in New Jersey, acknowledging both the extraordinary generosity of a donor family’s decision and the profound grief that accompanies it.
“In the midst of profound loss, you chose hope over despair and compassion over sorrow,” Walter shared in his speech. “You have turned a personal tragedy into a source of light and possibility for strangers.”
For Walter, donation is not an abstract concept. His mother, Helen, was also a donor, making his connection to Eversight’s mission personal on both sides of the gift.
Through his service on the New Jersey Advisory Board, Walter continues to honor that legacy, ensuring that the gift of sight is protected, celebrated and extended to others who need it most.
Walter’s journey is a powerful reminder of what’s possible because of generosity—from donor families who say yes in their most difficult moments to supporters who make Eversight’s work possible every day. Learn more about eye donation.
You can help ensure that life-changing cornea transplants, vision research and education continue for those facing vision loss. Together, we can help more people regain independence and hope through the gift of sight.