KWWL.com - News & Weather for Waterloo, Dubuque, Cedar Rapids & Iowa City, Iowa | Special Assignment: Grace's cornea transplant

Special Assignment: Grace's cornea transplant

By Danielle Wagner

WATERLOO (KWWL) Close your eyes and imagine what it would be like to be blind. Now imagine hearing from doctors that your child might never see clearly.

We introduce you to  one eastern Iowa girl and her journey to find sight. When Grace Mowatt was born, parents Bruce and Leslie knew something was wrong.

"She didn't open her eyes when she was first born," said Leslie.

Grace's eyes were completely blood shot. At her two-week appointment, doctors had never seen anything like it and referred her to an optometrist.

One eye was diagnosed with glaucoma, The other had a lot of scar tissue.

"She has a congenital disorder called Reikers Syndrome. When she was in utero her eyes didn't develop. She doesn't have the same drainage ducts to remove pressure on her eyes," said Leslie.

At just 16 days old, Grace had her first eye surgery.

"Our initial diagnosis was they didn't think she'd have sight, " said Leslie. "Then 50 percent chance she'd see well enough to learn, but never be able to drive a car."

After two surgeries, her left eye was fine.  Then, it was time for the right eye. Leslie and Bruce got word donor tissue was available and grace was deemed a good candidate for a transplant.

At just three months old, Grace had a cornea transplant.  The child they initially thought would be legally blind, could see from both of her eyes.  "Everything was going great. She got a contact lens to help her with her vision."

But, Grace got an infection in her eye from the contact lens.  "The infection spread in her eye," Leslie said. "We were able to stop it to save her eye, but it caused a scar on her transplant."

Now, one and a half year old Grace is awaiting her second cornea transplant, hoping to once again fully restore her sight.

This time, she won't get a contact lens, but instead, will wear glasses after the surgery.  "It's been challenging but we've come through it and we've realized there could be a lot worse things," said Grace's father, Bruce.

The family hopes, this transplant will be Grace's last eye-related surgery.

"She's a trooper through it all."

The Mowatts want Grace's experience to shed light on the need for organ donation. Unlike other organs, there is no match process for corneas and almost anyone can donate.

Online Reporter: Danielle Wagner

Online Producer: Michelle Caldwell