Kate Higgins from Georgia Eye Bank attended EBAA’s Technician Education
Seminar in February 2015 after winning the Jachin Misko Memorial Scholarship for Technical Advancement in Eye
Banking.

Almost two years ago, Jachin Misko, Regional Director of Clinical Services, passed away. He was a pivotal leader in establishing Saving Sight’s DSAEK cutting lab and procedures, an achievement that improved Saving Sight’s ability to provide eye tissue for many patients. Jachin was also a leader within the Eye Bank Association of America, serving on the Exam Committee, Continuing Education Committee, Medical Review Subcommittee, and Medical Advisory Board. That is why a scholarship, the Jachin Misko Memorial Scholarship for Technical Advancement in Eye Banking, was created in his memory. Saving Sight partnered with Numedis, a manufacturer of corneal preservation media, to offer up to $2,000 to cover the travel, registration, and lodging costs for an eye bank technician from an EBAA-member eye bank to attend the EBAA Technician Education Seminar (TES) in Tampa, Florida. 

This year’s recipient was Kate Higgins, an employee of Georgia Eye Bank (GEB). “I am very honored to have received the Jachin Misko Memorial Scholarship for the Technician Education Seminar and would like to thank Saving Sight and Numedis for this educational and inspiring opportunity,” said Kate. “I am excited to utilize the new skills and information I learned as a Laboratory Technician at GEB. I am sure that this seminar has made me a better and more knowledgeable eye banker, and I fully recommend the Technical Education Seminar.” To read more about Kate’s experience at the seminar, view the February 2015 issue of Insight, the EBAA’s monthly e-newsletter. 

Tony Bavuso, chief executive officer of Saving Sight, said, “I believe this scholarship is a particularly meaningful way to honor Jachin because it represents the impact he had on all of us and on changing lives by saving sight through eye banking.” The scholarship will be offered to a promising eye bank technician for at least the next three EBAA Technician Education Seminars. 

As the anniversary of Jachin’s passing approaches, the staff of Saving Sight remember him for the outstanding contributions he made as a member of our team. If you would like to contribute to the memorial scholarship to help us honor him by supporting future leaders in eye banking, please visit our Giving page where you can designate your gift to the fund. You can also send a check to our headquarters in Kansas City at 10560 N. Ambassador Dr., Suite 210, Kansas City, MO 64153 with a note stating that your gift is intended to support the Jachin Misko Memorial Scholarship for Technical Advancement in Eye Banking. If you have any questions, please call our accounting department at 1-800-753-2265 or send us a message through our Contact Form.

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Tom, a veteran from Independence, Missouri, suffered from Fuchs’ dystrophy. Thanks to corneal transplantation, he was able to regain his vision and continue to support his family.

Kansas City, Mo. (March 3, 2014) – Tom, a U.S. Air Force veteran and minister from Independence, Missouri, suffered from Fuchs’ corneal dystrophy, a hereditary disease that causes corneal cells to deteriorate. As the primary earner for his family, Tom’s loss of sight would have had implications not only for himself but also for the family he supports. But thankfully he was diagnosed before he lost his vision entirely, so he received corneal transplants at University of Kansas Hospital in February 2012 and October 2013, which restored his sight and enabled him to return to work until retirement. 

Approximately 46,000 Americans will need a cornea transplant this year just like Tom. March is National Eye Donor Month, so Saving Sight is encouraging people to pledge to be eye, organ and tissue donors through the donor registry and to speak with their families about their decision to donate. People can sign up for the donor registry online at DonateLife.net or at the nearest Department of Motor Vehicles office. 

Thanks to the generosity of eye donors, their families and supportive hospital staff, Saving Sight was able to provide donated eye tissue for 2,587 corneal transplants in 2013, including Tom. During National Eye Donor Month, Saving Sight honors donors and encourages people to take the opportunity to join in saving sight: 

• Learn more about eye donation at www.saving-sight.org/cornea-donation.
• Pledge to be an eye, organ, and tissue donor on the donor registry at DonateLife.net.
• Speak with family and friends about the choice to donate.
• Share the message of donation with others in the community. 

According to the Eye Bank Association of America, “over 95 percent of all corneal transplant operations successfully restore the corneal recipient’s vision.”
So eye donors have an incredible impact on the lives of recipients, often relieving pain and reviving independence. In fact, a recent study coordinated by the EBAA found that corneal transplants in the U.S., by enabling people to resume employment and lead healthy lives, offer a total lifetime net benefit of nearly $6 billion. “The EBAA’s study does a great job of illustrating that eye donors not only give the gift of sight to recipients but they also enhance prosperity in our communities,” said Tony Bavuso, chief executive officer of Saving Sight. 

“So far, I couldn’t be happier,” Tom said. “I’m grateful to those who made the cornea donation, and I’m thankful to the Almighty that we’re able to do [transplant surgeries] these days.” On behalf of Tom and the other 2,586 people who received the healing gift of sight in 2013, Saving Sight thanks everyone who pledges to be an eye, organ and tissue donor and shares that decision with family this National Eye Donor Month. 

Read Tom’s corneal transplantation story. 

About Saving Sight
Saving Sight is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to change lives by saving sight. Founded in Columbia, Mo. in 1960, the organization introduced eye donation and the gift of sight to Missouri.

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