Jan 11, 2018 | News
New Saving Sight Board Member, Jeff Schaeperkoetter
Jefferson City, Mo. (January 22, 2018) – Jeff W. Schaeperkoetter – a former Missouri Circuit Judge, Assistant Attorney General, Missouri State Representative, and Missouri State Senator – will join Saving Sight’s board of directors in the 2017-2018 fiscal year. Schaeperkoetter, who has also served his country as a U.S. Army and Missouri Army National Guard veteran, will join the board for his first three-year term as a community board member.
“Our board members provide crucial oversight to help us achieve our goals,” said Chief Executive Officer Tony Bavuso. “Schaeperkoetter’s years of experience will bring a fresh perspective to our organization’s strategy this year. Through his engagement and support, I’m sure we will be able to change more lives by saving sight.”
Schaeperkoetter and his wife have both been involved in volunteer service in the Jefferson City community, from working in the education program as volunteers at Jefferson City Correctional Center to their personal work with neighborhood cleanups. Schaeperkoetter attends Capital City Christian Church and also serves on the Board of Trustees of the Historic City of Jefferson Foundation.
“I am hopeful that all of my life experiences, both professionally and personally, will give me the ability to provide productive service to the Board and the organization,” said Schaeperkoetter. “This is a great opportunity to serve the public in an organization which has done so much for so many. I am looking forward to working with the other board members and the organization as it strives to do even more.”
Saving Sight’s Board of Directors actively participate in long-range planning and secure financial resources to support sight-saving programs such as eyeglass recycling and cornea donation and transplantation. As highly visible members of their communities, the board members also enhance Saving Sight’s public standing by sharing the mission, accomplishments, and goals with the general public, Lions clubs, and other partner organizations.
For more information, visit www.saving-sight.org or contact Annie Kuhl, Chief Communication Officer, at 314-584-1710 or akuhl@saving-sight.org.
About Saving Sight
Saving Sight is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to change lives by saving sight. Founded in 1960, Saving Sight has grown to become one of the nation’s leading eye banks and is focused on providing innovative solutions to its clinical partners. Headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., Saving Sight facilitates eye donation in Missouri, Kansas, and Illinois, impacting the lives of those both near and far through transplantation.
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Jan 8, 2018 | News, Research
Kansas City, Mo. (January 8, 2018) – Today, non-profit organizations Saving Sight and Fight for Sight announced the joint funding of two new Summer Student Fellowships. The grants will be available to undergraduate, graduate or medical students conducting research relating to either the cornea or dry eye.
“Research and innovation within the field of ophthalmology are what drives our work forward as an eye bank,” said Tony Bavuso, CEO of Saving Sight. “We’re thrilled to partner with Fight for Sight to support students who are pursuing academic ocular research.”
The two grant awards will be $2,500 each with applications due to Fight for Sight on February 15, 2018. The announcement of awards is expected in May of 2018.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with Saving Sight on two new Summer Student Fellowships,” said Arthur Makar, Fight for Sight’s Executive Director. “Together we will fund the next generation of leaders in corneal and dry eye research.”
About Saving Sight
Saving Sight is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to change lives by saving sight. Founded in 1960, Saving Sight has grown to become one of the nation’s leading eye banks and is focused on providing innovative solutions to its clinical partners. Headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., Saving Sight facilitates eye donation in Missouri, Kansas, and Illinois, impacting the lives of those both near and far through transplantation.
About Fight for Sight
Since 1946, Fight for Sight (FFS) has supported and inspired eye and vision research by funding promising scientists early in their careers. FFS has granted over $21 million in research that has contributed directly or indirectly to major advances in ophthalmology and vision research, including the development of the IOL, aspects of donor cornea preservation, various use of ophthalmic lasers, glaucoma treatment and gene therapy.
Nov 30, 2017 | News
Happy Holidays from Saving Sight
Pam captured these beautiful winter scenes at her country home in Missouri as our 2017 featured holiday artist.
Pam captured these beautiful winter scenes at her country home in Missouri as our 2017 featured holiday artist.
Thanks to our staff, partners, volunteers and supporters of our work in eye donation, more corneal recipients like Pam are able to enjoy the twinkling holiday lights and watch the first snowfall of the season. And more donor families are able to find comfort in their loved one’s legacy living on through the gift of sight in 2017.
We wish you a bright holiday season and look forward to our continued work in the new year. Happy Holidays, from all of us at Saving Sight!
About the Artist
Thanks to the generosity of an eye donor, Pam was able to correct her vision through the gift of sight. “My vision kept getting dimmer and dimmer and glasses just didn’t fix it,” said Pam. “We realized through several tests that it was Fuch’s dystrophy.”
After her corneal transplant, Pam chose to write her donor family to thank them for their kindness. “Families have felt such a loss but they have helped other people,” said Pam. “I knew they had suffered a loss and just wanted them to know we appreciated the gift. It’s not just that the donor gave but the family accepted and followed through with their wishes.”
Today, Pam has regained her active lifestyle exploring the outdoors and gardening. She and her husband are avid birdwatchers and she is able to see the fine details in feathers and coloring she was missing before her transplant. Pam has regained her independence, driving with confidence again and seeing details when grocery shopping, watching television, reading menus in restaurants and even beading her holiday Christmas balls. More than anything, Pam is able to watch and keep up with her 6 active grandchildren and see the world as they see it now.
“As my vision becomes clearer and clearer, I realize that I had forgotten how bright and colorful our world is and I appreciate and love every second of it,” says Pam.
Pam captured these beautiful winter scenes at her country home in Missouri.
Nov 29, 2017 | News
Frederick Fraunfelder, MD, MBA
Columbia, Mo. (November 29, 2017) – Frederick Fraunfelder, MD, MBA, director of University of Missouri Health Care’s Mason Eye Institute and chair of the Department of Ophthalmology at the MU School of Medicine, will join Saving Sight’s board of directors in the 2017-2018 fiscal year. Fraunfelder, an ophthalmologist, will join the board for his first three-year term as a community board member.
“Our board members provide crucial oversight to help us achieve our goals,” said Chief Executive Officer Tony Bavuso. “Dr. Fraunfelder brings years of experience in corneal surgery and eye banking and will be a great asset to the board of directors. I’m sure we will be able to change more lives by saving sight through his engagement and support.”
Saving Sight’s Board of Directors actively participate in long-range planning and secure financial resources to support sight-saving programs such as eyeglass recycling and cornea donation and transplantation. As highly visible members of their communities, the board members also enhance Saving Sight’s public standing by sharing the mission, accomplishments, and goals with the general public, Lions clubs, and other partner organizations.
For more information, visit www.saving-sight.org or contact Annie Kuhl, Chief Communication Officer, at 314.584.1710.
About Saving Sight
Saving Sight is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to change lives by saving sight. Founded in 1960, Saving Sight has grown to become one of the nation’s leading eye banks and is focused on providing innovative solutions to its clinical partners. Headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., Saving Sight facilitates eye donation in Missouri, Kansas, and Illinois, impacting the lives of those both near and far through transplantation.
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Nov 19, 2017 | Recipient Stories
David and his wife Jennifer.
Working in higher education, David’s job requires him to do detailed, number calculations. Because of the generous gift of sight from three donors, David can continue his work. “It is vital that I am able to differentiate between 5’s & 6’s and 3‘s and 8’s,” said David. “Thank you for making it possible that I can continue to work and provide for my wife and me.”
David received his third corneal transplant in January 2017. “I have keratoconus where the cornea grows into the shape of a cone rather than being round,” said David. The disease distorts the vision until it eventually cannot be corrected with glasses or contacts. His most recent transplant was because keratoconus distorted the original transplant in his eye after 23 years. “I have had three cornea transplants. The first was very painful and uncomfortable. Though a ‘success,’ the result was not as satisfactory as hoped. The last two were much more comfortable and recovery was easier,” said David.
Several areas of David’s life have been enhanced because of his corneal transplants. He’s able to continue working, read, watch TV, drive, and watch his daughters graduate from college and begin their adult lives. David added that without the transplants, he would be functionally blind. “The most recent transplant has not healed enough to provide better vision; however, it should eventually. The previous transplants have enabled me to continue working with improved vision. I work primarily with numbers and print,” said David. “Without the transplants, I would not be able to work in my field of study and expertise because I would not be able to read without great difficulty.”
Because of the impact donation has made on his life, David chose to write to his donor family through Saving Sight’s Correspondence Program. “The donor’s family made a choice to provide the cornea during what was probably a very sad and painful time in their lives. It is important for the family to know that the choice made at that time provides sight and hope to another individual and family,” said David. “Hopefully this knowledge gives them some comfort.”
David encourages others to join the national registry as an eye, organ and tissue donor because of his experiences. “A person’s life can be extended, enriched and changed by a donation,” said David. “I would encourage people to donate organs of any kind, not just corneas. As gruesome as some people think that eye surgery may be, it is worth it and the results can enhance a person’s life and even be life-changing.”
Has eye donation touched your life as a donor family or recipeint family with Saving Sight?
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