Occupational Therapist at the Hospice, Nikki Bentham, recently shared her very personal experience of organ donation with us. A cornea transplant didn’t just restore her sight – it gave her the chance to build a 25-year career helping others.

“At 13, I was diagnosed with keratoconus in my left eye – a rare condition that affects the shape and stability of the cornea. It made focusing difficult, caused light sensitivity, overlapping images during the day, and halos at night. Doctors said I’d lose my functional eyesight by my late 20s, but as a teenager, that felt far off.

“I wanted to be a surgeon, but keratoconus made that impossible. I chose nursing instead, only to discover the condition had spread to my right eye. Despite doing well in my studies, I couldn’t work as a nurse because I couldn’t read medication charts or manage dressings.

“Glasses helped early on, but my vision became unpredictable. I tried various hard contact lenses, which were costly and uncomfortable. Some days I could drive; other days I was legally blind. Wearing the lenses too long led to infections, and even my family struggled to understand the condition.

“A trial of new lenses which were soft-edged but hard-centred gave me temporary relief. I returned to university to study Occupational Therapy. But by my second year, I was told the lenses were damaging my eyes. I had to stop wearing them and was registered blind.

“I was placed on the corneal transplant list, though I was warned the wait could be long. My tutor doubted I’d ever practice as an Occupational Therapist, but I was determined and graduated with distinction.

“Then came a surprise call, I was told a donor cornea had become available. I had to decide immediately if I wanted to have the transplant done. I packed a bag and went to hospital, unsure about the ethics of transplantation but knowing it was a chance to change my life.

“Five years and several surgeries later, including cataract removal, I could finally see the results of the cornea graft. My eyesight isn’t perfect (just ask my colleagues), but I can drive and have worked as an Occupational Therapist for 25 years.

“I’m deeply grateful to the young man who carried a donor card and to the surgeons who pioneered the graft that restored my sight. Receiving a donated cornea truly changed my life.”

To find out more about organ donation, please visit the NHS Organ Donation website.