Fallen trooper gives gift of sight to two others
»Play Video
BREMERTON, Wash. -- The family of fallen trooper Tony Radulescu is celebrating the gift of sight that he has given to two people. Gina Miller, Radulescu's girlfriend and life partner, fought back tears as she talked about him giving to others, even after his death.
"Just to know that Tony, even in his passing that he was able to help people is really important," she said. "He will always be my hero."
Shot and killed in the line of duty in February, Radulescu's corneas gave sight to two people: A 56-year-old woman in California and a 52-year-old man in Korea.
"To help them see through Tony's eyes and hopefully they will enjoy life as much as he did," Miller said.
She said she knows Tony would have loved to meet them and since he spoke Korean, she said he could have definitely chatted with the recipient in Korea.
Sight Life, an eye bank in Seattle, provides corneas for more than 5,000 transplants every year in the United States and three dozen other countries.
"I don't know if there's anything more powerful than to be the shepherd for a gift from someone like Trooper Tony," said Sight Life CEO Monty Montoya.
Montoya gave Radalescu's son Erick and Miller a full tour, so they could see how donors' corneas restore sight.
"I love being a part of all the giving and the positive things that happen now," said Erick Radulescu.
Erick and Gina - also organ donors - say they know this is what Tony wanted.
"Sharing is caring, that's just pretty much the way I feel about everything," Erick Radulescu said.
Miller said it helps with the grief.
"It helps knowing that a part of him is still out there helping someone enjoy life," she said.
Miller even wrote a letter to the patients, explaining how she and Tony journeyed to tulip fields every spring.
"Tony loved looking at beautiful things," she read from her letter. "My wish is that you find the same joy in rediscovering your own favorite sights."
And she said she’s happy Trooper Tony's Legacy is being remembered: Be positive, be kind, and be nice.
SightLife is one of 80 non-profit eye banks in the U.S. that provides corneas for transplant. Some 10 million people worldwide are corneal blind, from infection, injury or disease.
Only about 45,000 transplants are done each year and the process can take two weeks. The cornea is recovered from the donor within 24 hours of death. It is sealed in a special solution and then studied in the lab to make sure it can be transplanted.
If it cannot and the family of donor agrees, the cornea can be passed on for research. Once a cornea is deemed ready for transplantation, the eye bank works to match it with someone in need. After the surgery, the patient’s vision continues to improve over the course of a year.
"Just to know that Tony, even in his passing that he was able to help people is really important," she said. "He will always be my hero."
Shot and killed in the line of duty in February, Radulescu's corneas gave sight to two people: A 56-year-old woman in California and a 52-year-old man in Korea.
"To help them see through Tony's eyes and hopefully they will enjoy life as much as he did," Miller said.
She said she knows Tony would have loved to meet them and since he spoke Korean, she said he could have definitely chatted with the recipient in Korea.
Sight Life, an eye bank in Seattle, provides corneas for more than 5,000 transplants every year in the United States and three dozen other countries.
"I don't know if there's anything more powerful than to be the shepherd for a gift from someone like Trooper Tony," said Sight Life CEO Monty Montoya.
Montoya gave Radalescu's son Erick and Miller a full tour, so they could see how donors' corneas restore sight.
"I love being a part of all the giving and the positive things that happen now," said Erick Radulescu.
Erick and Gina - also organ donors - say they know this is what Tony wanted.
"Sharing is caring, that's just pretty much the way I feel about everything," Erick Radulescu said.
Miller said it helps with the grief.
"It helps knowing that a part of him is still out there helping someone enjoy life," she said.
Miller even wrote a letter to the patients, explaining how she and Tony journeyed to tulip fields every spring.
"Tony loved looking at beautiful things," she read from her letter. "My wish is that you find the same joy in rediscovering your own favorite sights."
And she said she’s happy Trooper Tony's Legacy is being remembered: Be positive, be kind, and be nice.
SightLife is one of 80 non-profit eye banks in the U.S. that provides corneas for transplant. Some 10 million people worldwide are corneal blind, from infection, injury or disease.
Only about 45,000 transplants are done each year and the process can take two weeks. The cornea is recovered from the donor within 24 hours of death. It is sealed in a special solution and then studied in the lab to make sure it can be transplanted.
If it cannot and the family of donor agrees, the cornea can be passed on for research. Once a cornea is deemed ready for transplantation, the eye bank works to match it with someone in need. After the surgery, the patient’s vision continues to improve over the course of a year.
