Wednesday, November 09, 2011
 
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Bill Dolan dreams of gift of sight

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[November 09, 2011]  For the first time in more than a quarter of a century, the Rev. William "Bill" Dolan of Lincoln has the hope of a better future.

HardwareHe 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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