David Carlson

Type of Donation:          cornea recipient

Age and Location:          Age 74 – Grand Island, NY

Donation Date:                1966 and 1970

Sponsor:                              Honored by ConnectLife

DAVID’S STORY

David Carlson was diagnosed with Keratoconus at age 16. Keratoconus is a condition where the cornea bulges outward and becomes cone shaped. As the condition progresses, the vision becomes cloudy or blurred. Doctors first treated David’s condition with contact lenses, hoping to arrest its progression. Unfortunately, a decline in his vision to a point of legal blindness made corneal transplantation necessary. At age 21, David’s first transplant was successfully performed by Dr. Ramon Castroviejo, who was a pioneer in corneal transplantation in the United States. His second transplant, also successful, was done a few years later.

In addition to being active in sight conservation through his local Lions Club, David has also been active for many years in organ, tissue and blood donation through his association with ConnectLife (formerly Unyts) in Buffalo, NY.

David is married to his lovely wife Katherine and they have two children. He is an avid tennis player and golfer, and is president of an insurance agency in Buffalo. Forever grateful to his donors for the gift of sight that made his quality of life possible, David’s mission is to spread the word on the importance of organ, tissue and blood donation.