Working in the world of donation for years is not for the faint of heart. While there are many beautiful stories to share, the reality is that lives cannot be saved without loss. Penny Loy has served as the PR and Communications Specialist for Miracles in Sight, an HonorBridge partner and one of the largest nonprofit eye banks in the world, for the past 17 years. During that time, she has met many donor families who have faced tragedy, including her own husband. It is her personal connection to donation and her deep love for the mission that keep her committed to this work year after year.
“Thirty-three years ago, I received a kidney transplant,” says Penny. “My sister gave me her kidney. There was such a sense of relief, joy, and thankfulness.”
At age 24, Penny was diagnosed with Poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis (GN), a kidney disorder that can develop after a strep infection. Doctors told her the infection had traveled through her body and attacked her kidneys.
“I felt like I had the flu, and it lasted for about a week,” she recalls. “My mother insisted that I see a doctor, and my blood pressure was really out of control. I was sent to a nephrologist, and it turned out I had only 18% function in both kidneys. I lived off that for about eight years.”
In May 1993, after a month on dialysis, Penny received her lifesaving transplant.
“After the donation, there was so much joy from me, my sister, and my entire family,” says Penny. “But for me, deep down inside, there was still so much worry about rejection and how the medication would affect me. It was a struggle for a while, and I did have some problems, but we worked through it. I was overwhelmed by the generosity of my sister, who volunteered.”
Prior to her transplant, Penny had no experience with donation—but once she was healthy enough to go back to work, she knew a career change was on the horizon.
“I knew I didn’t want to go back to advertising and marketing,” she says. “I wanted to work in donation because that was my passion. I had no medical background, but when a position opened at what was then the NC Eye Bank, I applied. The only reason I was qualified is because I truly understood what families were going through. It happened to me. I felt connected to the donation world, to those on the waiting list and those struggling with kidney disease. I knew this was what I was meant to do, and 17 years later, I’m still here.”
Penny is part of the family care and aftercare team, where she supports donor families and answers their questions. After each donation, her team sends a letter to the family explaining the outcome. If the corneas were not used, that information is shared as well. These letters are often the first communication families receive after the donation, and they frequently lead to follow-up calls seeking more details about where the tissue went.
For Penny, those conversations are the most rewarding part of her work. She loves being able to tell families that the gift of sight was given, and even if it’s only for a moment, she sees how much joy that news brings.
“Even through sad experiences, I’ve made friends,” says Penny. “In 2009, I became friends with a donor mother whose daughter was killed in a car crash. It was devastating, but through the sadness, she became my friend and a supporter of Miracles in Sight. She touched me with the way she was healing and how she was supporting her daughter by making sure her memory stayed alive.”
In an incredible twist of fate, Penny’s work with donor families also led her to her husband. His 17-year-old daughter had passed away in 2010, and he reached out to Penny to learn more about where the tissue went.
“He eventually came to one of our memorial services and we chatted,” says Penny. “Then, he came to the eye bank for a tour and we just continued the conversation. He lived in Wilmington, and I lived in Winston-Salem. I knew about his daughter, even though I’d never met her. We later got together, and now we’ve been married for almost 13 years.”
Many people associate donation with death, but for Penny, donation has meant 33 years of life she otherwise would not have had. When asked how her life changed after transplant, her face immediately lights up.
“I can do everything thanks to my sister,” she says. “My health is good. I have a son who is the light of my life. Without my sister, I would not have been able to have him. I had to wait five years after my transplant to even think about having a child, and then Jackson came along, and he’s been the joy and the love of my life. I’m so thankful for him. I could easily cry right now just thinking about it, and not tears of sadness, but of happiness. I’m very close to my sister, and we do everything together. We sometimes argue, but I adore her. I just consider myself to be really lucky.”
Penny wishes that more people understood that it’s very possible to be a donor and encourages everyone to never rule themselves out.
“A lot of people think that if they’ve had Lasik or some kind of eye surgery that they definitely will not be able to donate their corneas, which is not true. Also, many people who have had cancer can still donate. It just depends on your situation at the time of death.”
When asked to share a message to donor family members, Penny’s voice chokes up with emotion.
“Thank you,” she says, her eyes filling with tears. “I really don’t know that I can say much more than that. It’s very deep. Since I received the transplant, I have a connection with donor families. When talking to them, some days it just hits you hard, but other days you leave with a smile on your face because of the way they handled things. There’s still laughter among all the sadness, and I’m so overwhelmed by that.”
For those who are on the fence about signing up to be an organ, eye, and tissue donor, her message is simple.
“Definitely do it. If you want to make a difference in somebody’s life, even after you’re gone, don’t hesitate. I have experienced a lot of life in the past 33 years. It’s full circle.”
75 or more lives can be saved and healed by one organ, eye, and tissue donor. Sign up to be a donor today!
