Wellington man’s eye tissue donation restores sight for nine others

Pete Hill received a cornea transplant when he was young. After his death, his eye tissue helped restore or repair the sight of nine other people, completing a remarkable circle in his organ-donation story.

Hill, from Wellington, spent decades working as a public servant and volunteering as a firefighter after his eyesight was restored. His experience as a transplant recipient later became part of a second, unexpected contribution to other people.

His daughter said the family had not known he could donate after suffering multi-organ failure. The case has drawn attention to the little-known realities of eye tissue donation and the ways a donor’s gift can help more than one recipient.