Give the Gift of Sight
About 20 years ago, during the summer, I quit my job in
pharmacology research at the University of Missouri and took a new job
at the Missouri Lions Eye Research Foundation.
I went to work for Dr. Ron Walkenbach, the Director of the
foundation, who I had met at the university through his teaching of
the medical students. It
wasn’t long after working there that I learned of the unusual reason
that initially motivated him in eye research.
Some years earlier, while Dr. Walkenbach was working
toward his doctoral degree in graduate school, he literally became
blind in one eye overnight. Frightened
and uncertain of the cause of this he sought medical attention and his
ophthalmologist diagnosed a relatively rare condition called
keratoconus. His doctor
explained to him that there was no cure for this condition other than
a transplant. No, not an eye transplant but a cornea (the clear central
portion of the eye) transplant. Surely,
some of his first thoughts must have been, how and where do I get a
cornea? Who would be
willing to give up such a precious thing?
If I can find one, who can I trust to cut away part of my own
eye to transplant the new cornea?
Will it work? What if it doesn’t? Will
I remain blind or will I regain my sight?
The search began for a healthy cornea with a proper tissue
match suitable for this young man’s eye.
Fortunately, Dr. Walkenbach knows the answers to
these questions now. In
fact, some years after his initial loss of sight he lost sight in his
other eye. Once again he
faced all of the same issues and this must have seemed like a
recurring nightmare. In each case, he underwent successful corneal
transplantation, which completely restored his sight.
I believe these events also gave him the vision for the work
that he has done in eye research and eye banking for more than 20
years at the Missouri Lions Eye Research Foundation.
Ironically, the corneas that restored his sight and vision were
from the Lions Eye Tissue Bank.
Cornea transplants have been performed since 1905 and
more than 700,000 people have had their sight restored since 1961.
Yet, despite these enormous strides, 46,000 people need corneal
transplants each year. March
has been designated as national eye donor month to place special
emphasis on sight saving programs and to raise awareness of the need
to donate. Don’t worry,
no one will ask you to donate before you’re finished with them but
once you are, consider the opportunity that you have to restore
someone’s sight, and perhaps their vision too.
Become an eye donor and change someone’s life.
If you wish to donate discuss this with your next of kin so
that they are informed and can carry out your wish.
Also, fill out a Uniform Donor Card.
Contact members of your local Lions Clubs or the Missouri Lions
Eye Research Foundation for further information.
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