By Caroline Miller, Senior Marketing & Communications Specialist
Eversight’s mission is to restore sight and prevent blindness through the healing power of donation, transplantation and research. Eversight is responsible for coordinating the eye tissue recovery process with healthcare staff and organ procurement organizations and works in close partnership with hospitals in the areas we serve.
Behind the incredible act of eye, organ and tissue donation is a network of compassionate individuals working tirelessly to ensure a donor’s legacy lives on.
In our service area of New Jersey, Eversight works with NJ Sharing Network, the state’s federally-designated organ procurement organization (OPO). Together, team members from each organization collect and share information on potential donors to maximize the gifts of life, sight and mobility.
“Our partnership with NJ Sharing Network is essential,” said Eversight Clinical Services Director, Julie McGahey. “They notify us when a donor is eligible, and we work together to ensure every detail is aligned.”
In 2024, Eversight and NJ Sharing Network collaborated on a shared case that not only honored a young donor’s gift but also helped a mother in her time of grief and healing.
Communication & collaboration
When a donor passes away, donor information reaches Eversight through different pathways. When a case is shared, meaning a person has the potential to be an eye, organ and/or tissue donor, the process begins with the OPO collecting all the necessary donor information, obtaining family consent and sharing the details with Eversight’s Donation Support Center.
Eversight’s Donor Eligibility team then reviews the donor’s medical records and information to confirm the eye tissue is safe for transplantation.
That was the process for this case.
“That's where we come in,” Julie said. “They partner with us to say, ‘We have this donor, she's going to be a tissue donor, we also have consent for eyes, and we want to share this experience and this donation and make the most of the gift.’”
From referral to recovery
NJ Sharing Network facilitated the donor’s transfer to the operating room, where Eversight’s recovery team then stepped in. Jacob Santana, Eversight Recovery Technician, recalled the challenges and rewards of the recovery.
“There were unique circumstances involving the family and medical examiner, but the collaboration made everything smooth,” he said. “It’s an art––balancing technical expertise with respect for the donor.”
This wasn’t the first time Jacob recovered on a young donor, but he acknowledged the emotional challenge that comes with reading these types of dispatches and the history of someone so young.
Jacob worked closely with Eversight Senior Clinical Education & Training Specialist, Kate Ash, who provided mentorship during the recovery.
“For young donors, the emotional weight can be immense,” Kate said. “But it’s also an opportunity to honor their life by ensuring their gift is handled with care and dignity.”
Ensuring safety with compassion & precision
After recovery, the donor’s tissue was examined by Eversight Processing Technician, Jim Horning, and Donor Eligibility Coordinator, Whitney Murray, ensured the tissue was safe for transplantation.
For Whitney, the process of determining the path of this tissue started with meticulous review.
This evaluation ensures the donor’s corneas meet the criteria for transplantation, a critical step that Whitney handles with precision yet deep respect for the donor.
“Each case I review represents someone who was loved,” Whitney said. “It’s hard, especially with young donors, but knowing the impact their gift will have makes it worthwhile.”
Donor Eligibility works closely with other Eversight departments to make the gift of sight possible, but it can be very solitary.
“We're remote,” she said. “We sit and just read information all day and we do a lot of team stuff together, but honestly it is really an individualized type of a position because of the nature of it––data review and data input.”
Whitney knows that seeing a young donor come across her screen can have an impact on her, so she tries to find ways to distance herself from the emotional toll.
“You do have to kind of just read the words and not internalize the impact of the age of the donor or the situation of death, because it will eat you alive if you don't do that,” Whitney said.
But even with an emotional distance from the cases she sees, Whitney fully understands that each donor was loved by someone.
“It’s hard when they're so young because it's hard to not think of what in life they're not going to experience,” she said. “It's hard to read about the parents that are impacted by their children's deaths. That's heartbreaking.”
The legacy lives on
After the donor’s tissue was deemed eligible for transplantation, Eversight’s Tissue Distribution team found homes for the gift.
These teams work on the frontline of donation and rarely get to see the outcomes of the gifts they help recover and place. In this case, however, the corneas from this young donor were successfully transplanted, and communication with NJ Sharing Network and the donor’s mother allowed them a chance to witness the profound impact of their work.
“We were able to share that the donor’s left cornea was transplanted to a 67-year-old female in Arizona and the donor’s right cornea was transplanted to a 16-year-old in Arizona,” Julie said. “When NJ Sharing Network reached the donor's mom back to tell her, she began happy crying knowing her daughter was able to give the gift of sight to a 16-year-old as the donor herself was 18.”
For Jacob and Kate, this outcome reinforced their commitment.
“It's a part of the recovery that I don't see very often, but I'm glad that it's able to come full circle,” Jacob says. Kate adds, “You never know if it's going to impact you, but it's a really important job and I'm glad that this is part of the family's healing journey.”
In one of life’s most difficult moments, donors and their family's choice to give the gift of sight is an inspiring act that leaves a legacy of kindness.
“It is incredibly important for us to find ways to honor that legacy, and part of that means doing everything we can to support donor families as they navigate life without their loved one,” said Eversight Programs & Partnerships Director Chad Spangler.
“Facilitating this young woman’s gift of donation was deeply humbling, but hearing how her donation has brought her family peace during such a difficult time is truly indescribable,” said Genna Alvarez, NJ Sharing Network Donation Resource Coordinator. “This incredible outcome was made possible through the collaborative efforts of NJ Sharing Network and Eversight, who came together to honor her legacy.”
“It serves as a powerful reminder that even in the darkest moments, the gift of life and healing can create ripples of comfort and hope.”
A shared mission
Eversight’s collaboration with NJ Sharing Network underscores the importance of partnerships in expanding the impact of donation.
“Without them, opportunities for eye donation might be missed,” Whitney said.
Each individual played a vital role, from initial evaluation to the placement of the tissue to speaking with a grieving mother. It was a testament to what is possible when compassion and collaboration meet.
“It was something good that happened,” Julie said. “It's nice to feel their sense of a silver lining. To know that your hard work and some of the difficult conversations that happened resulted in something so great. That's why we do it.”
Eversight remains committed to working with partners like NJ Sharing Network to honor every donor’s wish and expand the gift of sight. Together, we prove that even in the face of loss, life-changing miracles are possible.
