The Journey of our 2024-25 Circle of Light Photo Project: Where We Have Been
This year, our traveling exhibit has inspired and brought joy to staff, patients and hospital visitors spreading the word about eye tissue donation.
By Niko Soriano - July 15, 2025
Where We’ve Shared the Circle of Light Photo Project
We have featured our 19-photo Circle of Light Photo Project at the following locations since January 2025:
- Denver International Airport – Denver, CO
- HCA HealthOne Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children – Denver, CO
- Estes Park Health – Estes Park, CO
- UCH Memorial Central – Colorado Springs, CO
- Aurora Public Library – Aurora, CO
- Boulder Community Health, Foothills Hospital – Boulder, CO
- AdventHealth Porter – Denver, CO
- Intermountain Health Collier Hospice – Wheat Ridge, CO
- Goodson Recreation Center – Centennial, CO
- Intermountain Health Lutheran – Wheat Ridge, CO
- Roaring Fork High School – Carbondale, CO
- PresbyterianSt. Luke’s Medical Center – Denver, CO
- Eastern Wyoming College – Torrington, WY
- UCH University of Colorado Hospital – Aurora, CO
- Three Rivers Health – Basin, WY
- Buck Recreation Center – Littleton, CO
- Lone Tree Recreation Center – Lone Tree, CO
- The Armory Performing Arts Center – Brighton, CO
- AdventHealth Littleton – Littleton, CO
- Children’s Hospital Colorado – Aurora, CO
“I wanted to thank you again for your partnership in bringing the Circle of Light project to Intermountain Health Saint Joseph Hospital,” said communications manager, Tiffany Anderson. “I heard good feedback from staff, and I had a visitor reach out to me to say she really enjoyed seeing the cool artwork!”
Photographers from the project were also invited to visit a couple of the exhibits while on display at the hospitals. “We were honored to have one of the artists who is a cornea recipient join us during the exhibit to share her story, and have visitors hear from someone who has been personally impacted by the gift of donation,” said Anderson.
Photo: taken at HCA HealthONE Sky Ridge, Lone Tree, CO
Featured Photographers
The Circle of Light Photo Project celebrates those who have had their sight restored through eye tissue transplants. Participants were asked to submit photos of things they are happy to be able to see with their renewed vision. The current featured photographers are listed below with their biographies.
Arthur Gomez, Denver, CO
Arthur has had two corneal transplants on his right eye. What started slowly as a fungal infection turned into a year without vision from a condition called Peecilmyos lilacinus, before his first cornea transplant in November 2014. Arthur is an outdoors guy. He enjoys hiking and biking, so living almost a year without vision was tough for him.
Bill Fehringer, Casper, WY
In the 1980s, Bill had acid splashed into his eyes in a construction accident. He was diagnosed with Kerataconus in the mid 1990's, which his eye doctor said was probably brought on by the acid burns. In August 2002, he had the transplant, and it went splendidly. Today, his sight is still very good, and he owes it all to early detection and the blessing of a generous donor.
Dana Henderson, Elizabeth, CO
Dana is very grateful to have been a recipient of her transplants: right eye in 2006 and 2022, and left eye in 2008. She has been able to see clearly as her daughter has grown up. Dana’s husband is also a recipient of a cornea transplant. Their family is greatly blessed by someone choosing to be a donor! She is thankful every day for her donors giving her this gift of sight.
Dean Allman, Aurora, CO
Dean has been a photographer since the age of 14. It has always helped him to see the world and share what he has seen with others. Dean had to face the possibility that he would not be able to continue his work because of his eye difficulties. That was a prospect that was really hard for him to deal with. The corneal transplant Dean received in July 2020 meant that he could continue to explore the world with his camera. He has such incredible feelings of gratitude.
Jacob Degoey, Aurora, CO
Jacob is 19 years old and lives just outside of Denver. He had his cornea transplant in 2022 as a result of a progressed Keratoconus condition. Now he appreciates his vision and pictures as much as he can. To have a cornea transplant was very scary at first, but he is so grateful. For Jacob, to be able to see all of the places he gets the privilege to visit in 20/20 vision – especially Switzerland - he is very appreciative to the doctors and to the person that donated.
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Jan Hepp-Struck, Brighton, CO
Since her teenage years, Jan has loved photography. She started out with a Polaroid Instant Camera in 1967. As she grew into an adult, Jan’s photography interest increased and she took many pictures. In the 2000's, with the onset of her cornea disease, she began to lose interest with failed vision. In 2017, Jan had cornea transplants in both eyes. Her desire to take pictures exploded and she feels blessed to have the vision to enjoy it.
Jim Rook, Alexandria, MN
Jim received corneal transplants in both eyes during the summer of 2017, including one tissue from a donor in Grand Junction, CO. Prior to surgery, his eyesight had been getting progressively worse but after the operation he had 20/20 vision and better. Next to life itself, this was the greatest gift that a nature and landscape photographer like himself could ever receive.
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Kelly Tamblyn, Cody, WY
Fuch's dystrophy has been affecting Kelly’s life since her early 20's. She had her left eye transplant on April 12, 2023 - four days after she suffered a severely broken foot because she couldn't see the curb. She had her right eye transplant on June 14, 2023. Kelly is grateful to the donors who gave her the chance to see clearly again. She now experiences this beautiful world through three points of view, and will never take one day of this opportunity for granted.
Mary Ann Fox, Fort Collins, CO
Complications from LASIK surgery damaged Mary Ann Fox’s corneas. Nearly five years later she had corneal transplant surgery to restore her vision. She sees and photographs sunrises, sunsets, smiles, travels, and the talents and shenanigans of the grandkids. Mary Ann Fox has such an appreciation for donor families. Thank you to each one for this gift of sight.
Patricia Badolato, Littleton, CO
Patricia is a former registered nurse, wife, mother of two, and grandmother of four living and loving Colorado! Patricia and her husband love to travel. She had a cornea transplant in her right eye in September 2015 due to corneal scarring which impeded her vision and depth perception. Patricia is incredibly thankful for the gifts provided by her donor and continues to share how corneal transplantation impacted her.
Tammy Kluiber, Brighton, CO
Tammy has had bad vision problems her whole life, starting with an early vision test in kindergarten. She had surgery later and could see for nearly 20 years. Then, three years ago Tammy started having problems again. Her doctors at UCHealth told Tammy that the scars from the first surgery were causing damage that was irreversible. Tammy also has Sjogrens and Lupus, which means her eyes are constantly dry. She has to have tears made from her plasma and put heat packs on the eyes to stimulate tear ducts.
Tammy has had one cornea transplant surgery, and she will still need additional eye surgeries; she may never see perfectly, but without the transplant she likely wouldn’t be able to see anything at all. She has her own little universe that she loves; she takes photos of everything and then takes them home to see them up close.
Tyler Mudd, Monroe City, MO
Tyler is a farmer from Northeast Missouri. He received bilateral corneal transplants in 2006. Post surgery, he went on to play baseball in high school and college and has won some amateur photo contests. Because of the selfless gift of others, he has been able to live a fulfilling life with sight. Photography keeps him in touch with and thankful for the gift of sight. A brief period of life without sight has given him a greater appreciation for the many vignettes we all pass by every day without taking the time to stop and notice.
Wanda Steadham, Aurora, CO
Wanda’s cornea transplant was in May 2018. She always knew about the possibility of a cornea transplant, but NEVER imagined it would happen to her - or at least if it did happen, she would have plenty of warning.
Nope - that’s not the way it happened. Within a few days her vision was gone, and she had to have transplant surgery.
Wanda’s family was concerned but chose to give cornea a name, “JD” and welcome it to the family. Wanda truly has a passion for photography and travel, so the thought of not having her vision to take pictures is quite unimaginable.
Feedback We Have Received
As the photos of the project has traveled across the region throughout Wyoming and Colorado, we’ve received a ton of feedback from medical staff, patients, and visitors to the various facilities. It’s been incredible to hear how the photos brought joy and helped to raise awareness about eye donation. Here are a few words from those who have hosted our photo project at their locations.
“Stunning photography and brought the aspect of transplantation full circle.”
“I am blown away by the photos – they are truly astounding. I can’t wait to share this with our community!”
It’s been amazing bringing these photos to so many people to share the importance of donation. We’re proud of our photographers and immensely thankful to our donors and their families. We can’t wait to bring these photos to more locations this year and are excited to see the submissions for 2026. If you haven’t had a chance to check out the exhibit this year, take a look at our Circle of Light Photo Project page (COLPP Exhibits) and get to your nearest display. Thank you to our hospital partners and internal staff for making these exhibits happen!
Photos (left): taken at Intermountain Health Collier Hospice, Wheat Ridge, CO. (right): taken at Laramie County Library, Cheyenne, WY.