Rochelle Franco, Cornea Recipient

When Rochelle Franco, of Shingle Springs, was 4 years old, a virus caused severe scarring on her left eye, leaving her legally blind in that eye. At 16 years old, she received a cornea transplant. Twenty-five years later, she is still grateful for her near perfect eyesight. “It’s a gift that I’ve never forgotten. I’m very appreciative to the family that did something very selfless. I just finished giving my 14th gallon at BloodSource, I’m on the “Be the Match” Bone Marrow Registry, and I’ve always had a pink donor dot on my license. I’m very passionate about paying my gift of sight forward.”