Seeing the work I do differently

Toni Woodward from Weston-Super-Mare has a spectacular story to tell.

He works within Bristol Eye Bank as a Tissue Bank Specialist for NHS Blood and Transplant. In this role he helps to safely store cornea donations, which are then provided to surgeons for patients requiring life-changing cornea transplants.

These transplants help restore sight, enabling people to see their families clearly again, and give people their independence back.

This is a situation Toni himself knows all too well, as he has received three corneal transplants whilst working at the eye bank. Incredibly, despite other eye banks operating around the country, all of the corneas came from Toni's workplace!

Toni says: "We get a list of what is needed and for whom and when I saw my name on there, it was both surreal and amazing!
"Becoming a recipient myself makes me see the work that I do differently.

"I've always been in awe of the families who make that decision to donate their loved one's corneas but I also now have that personal experience and true understanding of the benefits that a cornea transplant can bring.

Toni is the longest-serving eye bank staff member, having joined in 1995.

He was born with congenital glaucoma, a condition where there is high pressure inside the eye. He underwent various surgeries as a child but never expected he would need a cornea transplant.

He says: "I just saw the job advertised and thought 'oh, that sounds interesting!'"

"It wasn't until the early 2000s that my vision started to fail in my right eye.

"At the time when this was happening it was very hectic – I had a young family and I was needing to focus on work and family life.
"Having to take that time out to focus on my own health affected how I was dealing with life at the time and it did affect me quite badly."
Toni's first transplant had a major impact on his life.

"It went from me being blind in one eye to the next day having that vision restored.

"My whole life improved – driving was easier, so many things were much better after the transplant took place!"

Bristol Eye Bank recently celebrated its 40th anniversary, with Toni being a team member for 31 of those years. More than 4000 corneas are issued from Bristol Eye Bank every year.

He says: "The incredible work done by the people before me – and the work we have done since – has led to people like me being able to receive the transplants that we need, when we need them.

"But of course, we couldn't do it without the generosity of the families of our donors, who make that decision at such a difficult time in their lives.

"I cannot thank the families of my donors enough.

"It's because of them that I have been able to watch my granddaughter grow up – I can carry on with the activities that I enjoy and, importantly, do the work that I do, to make sure that others also receive that precious gift of sight.

"Please, consider cornea donation and register your decision to donate on the NHS Organ Donor Register.
"It means everything to people like me."

Confirm your organ and tissue donation decision at organdonation.nhs.uk or via the NHS App.