Slain trooper gives Danville nurse gift of sight
Inside Bay Area | Jason Sweeney
Danville resident Deborah Strych, left, and Gina Miller work on a portrait of Washington State Trooper Tony Radulescu that will be incorporated into a float for the Rose Parade during an emotional meeting in Lafayette, Calif. on Thursday, Dec. 6, 2012. Strych received a cornea transplant from Radulescu, Gina Miller's significant other, who was killed in February during a traffic stop. This was the first meeting for Strych and Miller. (Kristopher Skinner/Staff)
LAFAYETTE -- Gina Miller and Deborah Strych embraced and burst into tears when they met for the first time on Thursday morning,
In her right eye, Strych carries the cornea of Miller's boyfriend, Washington State Trooper Tony Radulescu, who was shot and killed during a traffic stop in February.
"I'm so thankful," Strych said, tears running freely down her face. "It's an unbelievable gift that you and Tony have given me."
"You give good hugs, like Tony did," Miller said. "I'm thankful that he was able to help you. He wanted to give back to a country that gave him such a good home."
The meeting of the Danville nurse and Miller at the Lafayette Hotel was made possible by SightLife, a non-profit global health organization and eye bank with offices in Brisbane and Seattle. SightLife delivered Radulescu's cornea to opthamologist Dr. Raveen Chandra, who transplanted it onto Strych's eye.
Miller, a public records officer for the Washington State Patrol, met Radulescu three years ago at a fair in Puyallap, Wash. She said they had much in common and quickly became inseparable.
Strych, 56, is a nurse who works with low-income patients at Pittsburg Health Center.
In her right eye, Strych carries the cornea of Miller's boyfriend, Washington State Trooper Tony Radulescu, who was shot and killed during a traffic stop in February.
"I'm so thankful," Strych said, tears running freely down her face. "It's an unbelievable gift that you and Tony have given me."
"You give good hugs, like Tony did," Miller said. "I'm thankful that he was able to help you. He wanted to give back to a country that gave him such a good home."
The meeting of the Danville nurse and Miller at the Lafayette Hotel was made possible by SightLife, a non-profit global health organization and eye bank with offices in Brisbane and Seattle. SightLife delivered Radulescu's cornea to opthamologist Dr. Raveen Chandra, who transplanted it onto Strych's eye.
Miller, a public records officer for the Washington State Patrol, met Radulescu three years ago at a fair in Puyallap, Wash. She said they had much in common and quickly became inseparable.
Strych, 56, is a nurse who works with low-income patients at Pittsburg Health Center.
Comments
Post a Comment