 He dreams of
seeing colors and things around him like flowers and
people's faces. And maybe, just maybe, he will be able to read
again.To gain a better understanding of Dolan's plight, get a
thick piece of waxed paper and hold it in front of your face. Now,
close one eye.
What you are able to see through the paper with one eye is
roughly comparable to what Dolan has been able to see for the past
25 years.
He is able to perceive light and to see some color and movement.
That's all.
Dolan's vision grew continually worse from the time he was a
youngster until he was 14 years old. At that point, his doctor
performed an unsuccessful laser surgery on one eye. He completely
destroyed the sight in that eye.
"They decided not to touch the other one," said Dolan.
Despite his limited vision, the 42-year-old has become an
accomplished musician and minister. He also serves as the manager of
the WLLM Christian radio station in Lincoln.
But through the years, he has never stopped dreaming, never
stopped asking about medical advancements that might improve his
sight.
"It would be nice to be able to see again," he remarked Wednesday
during an interview at WLLM. "Last summer, I asked my current
glaucoma doctor if there were any advancements. It came up in the
conversation."
For the first time, his doctor gave him encouragement.
Dolan sought out a second opinion, but that doctor was not as
optimistic.
However, physicians at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute at the
University of Miami and Dr. Kenneth Goins at the University of Iowa
Department of Ophthalmology believed that he could be helped.
They further agreed that the surgery could be performed with
either an artificial cornea or a full corneal transplant.
Goins has been performing such corneal transplants for some time.
He is a professor of clinical ophthalmology at the university, a
refractive/laser surgery, cornea and external disease service
director and medical director of the Iowa Lions Eye Bank
Bascom Palmer Eye Institute was ranked No. 1 of 18 hospitals
ranked in ophthalmology by at least 5 percent of the ophthalmology
specialists who responded to U.S. News surveys in 2009, 2010 and
2011. The ranked hospitals were named as among the best for
challenging cases and procedures.
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The doctors are unsure how much Dolan's eyesight will be
improved, but they guaranteed him that it will be better than it is
now.
"The stronger the optic nerve, the more I (will be able) to see,"
Dolan said. "Glaucoma can destroy the optic nerve.
"My retina is in good shape, but they don't know about the optic
nerve. That's the mystery.
"My sight could improve anywhere from 5 percent to 80 percent."
Dolan hopes to have the surgery next summer. In the interim, he's
trying to keep his expectations low, in case the improvement is
minimal.
"I'm waiting until I get the funds to do it," he said.
His fundraising campaign is in its early stages. Right now, he
has less than $2,000 of the $25,000 he needs for the surgery.
A volunteer at WLLM has put out a few collection canisters asking for assistance
at various businesses.
Donations are added to a special benefit account at Illini Bank in
Lincoln. Anyone who wishes to help can send a donation to the bank.
"Any funds given will go directly toward the eye surgery and the
costs related to it," Dolan said. "The surgery will be pretty
simple, but the post care will be quite costly and complicated.
"It could go on for six months, and that will mean trips back and
forth to Chicago, or wherever I have the surgery. The place hasn't
been decided yet.
"For the last 25 years since I've been this way, I've never had
hope -- actual, tangible hope -- that my sight can be improved.
"Now, I have hope."
[By NANCY SAUL]
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