Stories
Larry: Gift to Research Is Boundless
Larry was an ardent gardener who loved to spend time working with his vegetables and apple trees. He enjoyed tennis and golfing and was a diehard Twins and Vikings fan. And Larry was deeply committed to his family.
When Larry died of lymphoma at age 67, his family donated Larry's eyes to the Minnesota Lions Eye Bank. Larry's wife, Karen, just knew donation was right for their family.
"Donating seemed the right thing to do because, seven months before Larry died, our son Barry had a cornea transplant," said Karen. Barry had struggled with a degenerative eye disease called keratoconus since his late twenties. The disease caused his corneas to change shape and become increasingly pointed instead of round. It severely distorted his vision. The transplant restored Barry's sight, and the family knows that a donor made the gift possible.
Because Larry died from a blood-borne cancer, his corneas could not be offered for transplant. Instead, his eyes were received by a research scientist working to limit blindness due to glaucoma, an incurable eye disease that affects more than 4 million Americans. Karen was happy that through donation Larry could help others facing blindness.
Larry, whose son was a cornea transplant recipient, wanted to help others see.