KOZHIKODE: While many people lose their way when faced with challenges, VC Joseph has become an inspiration for others even after the biggest tragedy in his life — wife’s death. How? He agreed to donate her eyes and light up the lives of two others. Seventeen years hence, the Adivaram native has helped as many as 130 persons see life anew with his eye donation campaigns.
“When my wife, Leelamma, died following a brain injury in 2005, her eyes were donated to the eye bank at Comtrust Eye Hospital. Though I took time to come to terms with donating the eyes of my loved one, I felt great joy after seeing how the lives of those who received those eyes changed for the better,” Joseph says.
Ever since, the farmer — who now cultivates coconut and rubber across three and half acres — has devoted his life to spreading the significance of eye donation.Whenever he visits the sick at their homes or in hospitals, Joseph attempts to convince their families about donating eyes. “I’m doing this alone. And when I speak to the family of the deceased in my area, they have my own experience in eye donation as a point of reference.”
These days, if anyone dies in and around Thamarassery, Joseph receives alerts.And inspired by him, many people have started signing consent forms for eye donation.After his intervention, the eyes of 65 people have so far been donated to bring light into the lives of vision-impaired people. Now 73, Joseph continues to pursue the cause.He is also active in pain and palliative efforts.
“Our society is not sensitised about organ donation, especially eye donation. The primary reason is that, when our beloved ones die, we will be busy with last rites. No one would be there to remind us about eye donation at such times. I cater to filling this gap and provide awareness about eye donation. Also, many people have superstitious beliefs about eye donation. So they hesitate,” he say. Raised in Ernakulam, Joseph migrated to Adivaram in 1974. He now lives with son Lijo and family.