Donor & Recipient Stories

Des, as he was known to his family, friends, and loved ones, grew up in Hialeah Florida. He was the youngest of his mother’s four children, two boys and two girls. His next oldest sibling, a sister, was Des’s twin.

Anyone who knew Desmond knew how much his family meant to him: throughout his life, Desmond was a dedicated son, sibling, father, uncle, cousin and friend. His family was close knit and unconditionally loving. As an adult, Des was blessed with four amazing, beautiful, smart, talented kids of his own: three girls and one boy, whom Des cherished, adored, and loved dearly.

Desmond was truly one in a million, with a heart of gold. Everyone who knew him adored his friendly, inspiring, outspoken personality. At any gathering of family and friends, Desmond was certain to make sure that everyone ate! Desmond’s famous dish was hot dogs and baked beans. He was also the family clown: no family gathering was complete until Desmond got a laugh out of everyone.

Tall and athletic, Des was a sports enthusiast. Besides his family, basketball was Desmond’s other passion. As a teen, Desmond was one of the star players on his high school basketball team. When he wasn’t spending time with his kids, Des was on the court “shooting some hoops.” He excelled at ladder ball, and always made sure he got a game going during family gatherings. In his free time, Desmond also enjoyed coaching little league optimist football games.

Desmond’s Christian faith was a big part of his life. His family remembers his belief in God and his acceptance of Jesus as his lord and savior. Desmond considered himself a child of God, who lived according to his beliefs.

Des passed away suddenly, at the young age of 35. Upon his death, his loving family made the decision to donate his corneas to Florida Lions Eye Bank. Thanks to Desmond’s generous gift, and the selflessness of his family, another man in Florida has regained his eyesight.

Twenty-four members of Desmond’s adoring family showed up to celebrate the Beauty of Sight at Florida Lions Eye Bank’s annual donor family memorial event in 2016. His was the biggest family in attendance: clearly, Des is dearly loved and deeply missed. His legacy lives on through cornea donation.

In 2014, Nolan developed a rare, rapid-onset infection of his right cornea, leading to loss of vision and terrible pain. Nolan’s ophthalmologist, Dr. Guillermo Amescua of Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, knew his patient would need a corneal transplant—if his eye could be saved.

Nolan endured months of antibiotic and antifungal treatment hoping to stabilize his fragile cornea. A breakthrough came when Dr. Amescua performed corneal cross linking on Nolan’s right cornea, relieving Nolan’s pain and allowing his eye to heal.

While waiting for his eye to stabilize enough to undergo a corneal transplant, Nolan created a Facebook support group for corneal transplant recipients. With over 3,000 members around the world, Corneal Transplant Support Group is a patient-oriented resource where anyone awaiting or recovering from a corneal transplant can seek support and understanding.

Several years after developing the infection that robbed him of the sight in his right eye, Nolan’s eye was healthy enough for transplant surgery. In 2018, Nolan received a corneal transplant at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute with tissue from Florida Lions Eye Bank. Nolan reported dramatically improved visual acuity after surgery. He continues to see Dr. Amescua for follow up and has remained involved with Corneal Transplant Support Group on Facebook.