Southeast Texas

Lions Eye Bank, Inc.

Requestor Training

Minority Organ Tissue Transplant Education Program

National Organ and Tissue Donation Initiative

WHY YOUR HELP IS SO IMPORTANT

Organ donations are a vital part of the practice of medicine today. As the population lives longer, and with the spread of communicable diseases, the availability of viable donor tissue becomes a greater problem than ever. The need grows, and so does the shortage.

Corneal transplants were first performed just after the turn of the century and led the way in the field of organ transplantation. The medical profession recognized immediately that this would be the future.

The earliest transplants took a long time to heal, were painful, and required several weeks of postoperative immobility. Today, corneal transplants occur daily and require little or no hospitalization. The patient may become active almost immediately after surgery.

The cornea is the clear window at the front of the eye. When this window becomes clouded or opaque, vision is compromised. This may occur as a result of disease or trauma. It may occur to anyone, at any age. A corneal transplant can restore sight to anyone, at any age. There are probably few people who do not know someone who has benefited from this vision-restoring procedure.

Thousands of corneal transplants are performed yearly in the United States, restoring precious sight to young and old.

To provide eye tissue for transplantation, research and education, the public needs to know there is a need. Without the assistance of the general public, patients in need of this precious gift will wait in pain and darkness for months, possibly years. It is important to remember that anyone can be an eye donor, even if they have cataracts or poor vision.

Many families of deceased patients are willing and capable of stepping beyond the bounds of grief to choose vision for another they will never know. They find comfort in knowing their loved one will make an impact so large with such a small donation.

It is so simple to provide this special gift. It should not be forgotten. Public education is the best way to increase donation, as it enables people to talk to their loved ones and learn of their wishes before times of crisis and grief.

Key Benefits

	In-house Requestor
	Improved Donations
	Establishes and Maintains hospital-eye bank relationship

Capabilities

Capability 1: Reviews principles of patient and family care underlying the donation process.
Capability 2: Provides an overview of the donation process, the transplant system, and related legislation.
Capability 3: Provides examples of innovative donation practices.