Seeing the Light: An Artist Reflects on the Gift of Sight and Organ Donation

01 Aug 2025

Visual artist Ralph Kerle spent an afternoon with the Sydney Eye Hospital’s specialist ophthalmology team and Sydney Eye Hospital Foundation Chief Executive Officer Linda Fagan, in a powerful fusion of art and advocacy. What he experienced left a lasting impression. 

In his moving article, “Vision, Light and Gratitude: An Artist’s Afternoon with the Guardians of Australian Sight,” Ralph captures the scientific brilliance of restoring vision and the profound human stories made possible through eye tissue donation. 

“I came away with a renewed awareness of how precious the gift of sight is—and how selfless donors and their families are in making that gift possible.” – Ralph Kerle 

This DonateLife Week, a national campaign encourages Australians to consider becoming organ and tissue donors—a gesture that can change or save up to nine lives, including restoring sight through the donation of corneas. This week, we honour those donors—and the lives they’ve changed. Thanks to organ and tissue donation, patients suffering from corneal disease or damage can see the world again. 

We thank Ralph for using his creative voice to help highlight the profound impact of donation. 

Read his reflection here: 

🔗 https://www.ralphkerlesart.com/the-art-journal/2025/7/29/vision-light-and-gratitude-an-artists-afternoon-with-the-guardians-of-australian-sight 

And if you haven’t yet, consider registering as an organ and tissue donor: 

🔗 https://www.donatelife.gov.au/register-donor-today 

Image: Linda Fagan, Chief Executive Officer of the Sydney Eye Hospital Foundation; Dr Lyon Robinson AM; Ralph Kerle; Associate Professor Con Petsoglou, Medical Director NSW Eye Tissue Bank.