Eye donors helped me to continue helping my patients
Transplants medic received corneas after suffering from sight condition
A DOCTOR who works with donor transplants had her sight and career saved when she was given new corneas.
Dr Radha Sundaram, 46, thanked the families of the donors who have allowed her to carry on her vital work.
The mum of two was 41 when she was diagnosed with Fuchs dystrophy – which results in vision deteriorating and is mainly found in over-70s.
Radha, an intensive care consultant whose job involves approaching families about organ and tissue donation, had surgery on the first eye in June 2015.
She had the second transplant in October 2015 and was back working at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley eight weeks later.
Radha, from Glasgow, spoke to mark World Sight Day today. She said:
“Without the transplants, I would have had to give up my job as an intensive care consultant.
“I’m very grateful to have the ability to work during the pandemic, when I’m needed the most.
“On a personal level, it’s allowed me to be a mother and do all the things that come with raising children.”
The l aw around organ and tissue donation in Scotland is to change to an opt-out system from March next year.
If people aged 16 and over have not stated otherwise, they will be considered as a possible donor if they die. Radha said: “The transplants h av e completely transformed my life and I’m so, so grateful to my donors for their generosity and their families for making that decision at such a distressing time. “I have seen a societal change over the years in how it is viewed with more and more families raising it before we do.”
Co l in Faichnie, of Scotland O rgan Donation Services Team NHSBT, said: “Tissue and organ donation is only possible due the generosity of people who make the decision to be donors.
“Many lives are saved or enhanced as a result of these transplants.”
I’m so grateful to the donors and their families RADHA SUNDARAM HOSPITAL CONSULTANT