Thanks to help from co-workers, Kelly Todd received the gift of sight

Posted: 04/26/2022

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As a cook, Kelly Todd relies on good vision to help her read recipes and meal plans for each resident at Good Samaritan Society – Stafholt in Blaine, Washington.

Nine years ago, her eyesight began deteriorating rapidly. Within six months, it got to a point where she wasn’t able to read or drive. When she looked at the faces of her loved ones, co-workers and residents, it was like looking through wax paper.

“I went to the doctor and he said, ‘You can’t work because you can’t see.’ I was terrified because each resident has their own menu that you have to read. Well, I couldn’t, so the dietary aid, Grace Eberle, would call out what I needed to do,” says Kelly. “The funny thing is she still does it today.”

Kelly, who was 48 years old at the time, needed to have cataract surgery on both eyes, but the costly procedure didn’t fit into her family’s budget.

So, she got rides to and from work from her husband and co-workers, which took extra dedication since she has a 25-minute commute to work. Meanwhile, the leadership team at Stafholt brainstormed how to help her.

When leaders at the Good Samaritan Society’s National Campus heard about Kelly’s situation, they wanted to help. They said they would pay for one of the eye surgeries if the Stafholt team could collect enough donations for the other one.