A new view: Eye Donation Month
11/21/2023SEEING DONATION DIFFERENTLY
Makenna Jones suffered from chronic ulcers in her right eye, which resulted in frequent styes, infections, redness, and light sensitivity. The resulting scars gradually damaged her eyesight, and later, a Phoenix doctor determined a transplant was the final option. She has since received two cornea transplants, which granted her the gift to see again.
“It’s the kindness and selflessness it takes for a stranger to grant other people the opportunity to experience this gift,” Jones says. “It definitely changed the way my family views organ donation, and it’s something they advocate heavily for.”
CELEBRATING EYE DONATION MONTH
Every 11 minutes, someone has their sight restored by an EBAA member eye bank. This has helped 2.3 million individuals like Makenna see life in a new view.
Eye Donation Month is observed each November to celebrate the restoration of sight, raise awareness about cornea donation and transplantation and to honor selfless donors that have given the gift of sight.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
The cornea is one of the many tissues that can be a healing gift for someone in need. A cornea transplant involves the replacement of a diseased or scarred tissue with a cornea recovered from a donor. The process starts with an individual’s decision to register as an eye donor, or a family’s authorization for donation. Transplantation is facilitated by eye banks.
Luckily, there is not currently a waiting list for cornea transplants in the U.S., and most people have their cornea transplant within 30 days of needing it.
LIVING LIFE TO THE FULLEST
“I couldn’t see people. I would be virtually blind … it was like looking through a kaleidoscope,” Alan Taylor, director of Tissue Services at Donor Network of Arizona (DNA) and cornea transplant recipient.
Taylor was diagnosed with early keratoconus in high school, which occurs when your cornea becomes distorted. Eventually, the vision in his left eye was nothing more than color and movement.
In December 1995, he received his first cornea transplant. Taylor says he noticed the details of the outlet on the wall after his bandages were removed – and something so simple meant so much to him.
Nine years later, Taylor suffered a mountain bike accident that severely damaged his left eye and left him in need of a second cornea transplant. His vision was once again restored thanks to the generosity of a 75-year-old man.
YOU CAN GIVE, TOO
You can help by making the decision to register as an eye donor today. Registering to be a donor can help so many people who are awaiting a transplant, and lives are changed every day thanks to those who have registered. Register today at www.DonateLifeAZ.org.