The Eye Bank Association of America (EBAA) has designated November as Eye Donation Month. Since it was proclaimed by President Ronald Reagan in 1983, the EBAA has used the month as an opportunity to educate the public about the importance of registering to be a donor, about cornea donation and transplantation, and to acknowledge the important work of member eye banks.
This year’s Eye Donation Month campaign is centered around the theme, The Power of You, which acknowledges the entire community of people who are involved in the journey of sight restoration.
The campaign demonstrates the “power” that individuals have in building hope, restoring sight and changing lives, including healthcare professionals, researchers, eye bank staff, corneal surgeons, recipients and donor families.
You have the power to give someone the gift of sight by registering as an eye, organ and tissue donor today!
A successful partnership
Parkview enjoys a healthy partnershipwith VisionFirst Indiana Lions Eye Bank. Since 1959, VisionFirst has provided the gift of sight to more than 35,000 people. In 2017, VisionFirst provided nearly 2,700 corneas for transplant with more than 900 going to residents of Indiana.
In 2017, there were 159 Parkview cornea donors. This means that up to 318 people received the gift of sight thanks to these donors, their families and the Parkview staff. So far in 2018, there have been 128 Parkview cornea donors, impacting as many as 256 people.
Gratitude
The mother of a recipient kindly shared her letter to the family of the donor who changed her child’s life. It read:
Hello donor family. I am writing this on behalf of my son, who is six years old. We are very grateful to have received a donated cornea. Your loved one’s selfless donation has made a world of difference to my son. I don’t think I can express how truly grateful our family is for this blessing. He received his transplant on the second day of first grade. Now he can see the chalk board in the classroom. He is making all A’s. He plays basketball every day when he gets home from school. It makes my momma heart happy to see his eye sight thriving. A million thank you’s wouldn’t be enough. I will hold a special place in my heart for our donor and their family.
God Bless
It’s easy to become a donor. Visit donatelifeindiana.org to learn how and start the process!
