2023 Impact Report
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Saving Sight and Kansas Eye Bank Partnership Expands Mission Impact in Kansas

Saving Sight and Kansas Eye Bank Partnership Expands Mission Impact in Kansas

Jun 1, 2021 | News

Wichita, Kan. (June 1, 2021) – Two Kansas-based eye banks have partnered, increasing their impact to save sight in communities throughout the state and beyond. As of June 1, Saving Sight and the Kansas Eye Bank & Cornea Research Center, Inc. have integrated operations and now operate a Wichita location as Kansas Eye Bank, a division of Saving Sight.

This partnership brings together two nonprofit organizations with a rich history of serving the community, ocular transplant physicians, vision researchers, and area hospitals. The two organizations have a shared mission to restore vision to individuals needing a corneal transplant while also fulfilling the wishes of Kansans to become eye tissue donors upon passing.

“We’re excited about what this new partnership means in providing sight to even more people across Kansas, the Midwest, and beyond,” said Tony Bavuso, CEO of Saving Sight.

Saving Sight provides donated corneal tissue for transplant, restoring sight to approximately 8 individuals each day. The addition of the Kansas Eye Bank’s Wichita facility to the Saving Sight system will add new donor hospitals to its network, setting the stage to increase the number of tissues the nonprofit provides to physicians for transplantation. Additionally, the new partnership will allow Saving Sight to expand its efforts in supporting the choice of eye donors and their families to leave a legacy through eye tissue donation.

Saving Sight currently operates four other facilities apart from its headquarters in Kansas City, Mo., including locations in St. Louis, Columbia, Mo., Springfield, Mo., and Springfield, Ill.

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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2020 Impact Report

2020 Impact Report

Apr 23, 2021 | News

2020 Impact Report

Learn how we changed lives by saving sight during an unprecedented year.

Our Community Impact in 2020

For so many around the world and in the U.S., 2020 put the human spirit and resilience to the test. As part of our nation’s healthcare system and partner with hundreds of donor hospitals, Saving Sight was called to rise up to the need of helping others during this challenging and unprecedented time. As result of our hard work and care for our community, we were able to provide a huge impact in quality of life for others by facilitating the gift of restored vision.

Read more in our 2020 Impact Report below about the stories of those we were able to help last year.

Saving Sight Medical Director Shares Insights on Use of Serum Tears in Ocular Surface Disease

Saving Sight Medical Director Shares Insights on Use of Serum Tears in Ocular Surface Disease

Apr 5, 2021 | News

Joseph Tauber, MD, presented on the use of serum tears in March

On Wednesday, March 3, ophthalmologist and Saving Sight Medical Director, Joseph Tauber, MD, presented on using serum tears therapy in ocular surface disease. The webinar was hosted by Vital Tears, an organization that offers autologous serum tears to eye care professionals and their patients throughout the nation. Saving Sight is a co-founder of Vital Tears, and processes all orders for the serum tears in its laboratory.

Dr. Tauber has an in-depth understanding of the use of serum tears in patients with ocular surface disease, as he was an early adopter of using Vital Tears in his practice. During the webinar Dr. Tauber shared insights into how serum tears fit into a treatment plan for dry eye disease, as well how Vital Tears has simplified the process for patients and physicians.

In addition to serving as Saving Sight’s medical director, Dr. Tauber is a recognized authority in the field of ocular surface diseases, including dry eye. Avidly involved in research for almost three decades, Dr. Tauber has been a principal investigator in over 125 research studies of high-risk corneal transplantation, inflammation and allergic eye diseases, corneal infectious diseases and numerous studies related to dry eye syndrome.

If you’re interested in learning more about the innovative approach that Vital Tears is taking in partnership with Saving Sight to restore sight, visit www.vitaltears.org.

Hospital Development: Their Role in the Donation Process

Hospital Development: Their Role in the Donation Process

Mar 19, 2021 | News

Saving Sight is committed to working with hospital partners across our region to facilitate the gift of eye donation. From supporting each donor family to maximizing every opportunity for donation to occur, we couldn’t make corneal donation and transplantation happen without our partners. A key component in our success in working with hospital partners lies in the work of our Hospital Development team.

Hospital Development (HD) is responsible for developing and implementing strategies to ensure Saving Sight and its donation partners carry out a lean and effective donation process, maximizing the opportunity for donation to occur. Our Hospital Development Managers oversee HD territories and manage relationships with assigned donor hospitals and other area partners that we work with to facilitate eye donation. They work with hospital staff from leadership to chaplains to nurses and physicians, and also work with medical examiners, coroners, investigators, funeral home directors, organ procurement organizations, and the general public.

Working with these partners allows the HD team to build and foster relationships that drives a strong foundation for donation. A large part of that is being a liaison and advocate for the partner and donation, as well as providing education opportunities on the process and about donation in general. Though our HD Managers meet with partners in their territory all year round, November and April are huge months for the team. November is Eye Donation Month and Saving Sight joins the Eye Bank Association of America and eye donation community in honoring and celebrating the gift of sight. April is National Donate Life Month and Saving Sight joins the Donate Life community and other organ, eye and tissue procurement organization nationally in honoring the legacy of organ, eye and tissue donors and celebrating the gift of life for recipients.  Both observances allow our team to say a special thank you to our partners for their work in the journey and to share inspirational stories of hope and healing through donation with them.

Meet Our Hospital Development Team

Darcey Ross

Territory 1 & 2
816-255-1373
Kansas City, MO

Haley Lyne

Territory 3
417-569-1270
Springfield, MO

Tori Weiss

Territory 4
314-584-1712
St. Louis, MO

Hospital Development Territory Map

#GivingTuesday

#GivingTuesday

Nov 24, 2020 | News

Give a Gift to Save Sight

Join us on December 03, 2024 for #GivingTuesday.

Donate Today

Make a Lasting Impact

On Tuesday, December 3, Saving Sight will join nonprofits all over the world in a global movement of generosity for Giving Tuesday. We hope you’ll join us in making a gift to support our work in preserving and restoring the sight of others.

Your financial contribution to Saving Sight allows us to continue the important work of educating about eye donation in the communities that we serve. With your support, we’re able to continue to fill our eye, organ and tissue donor registries so more transplant recipients receive the gift of sight. Together, we can engage communities and partners in saving sight for others.

Are you ready to make your impact? Consider making a financial gift today of any amount to help us change lives by Saving Sight.

Donate Today

Share An Unselfie!

Show your support of our mission on #GivingTuesday by sharing an “unselfie” on social media. Download our template here and share a little with us about why you support our mission.

Countdown to #GivingTuesday!

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Eye Donation Month

Oct 7, 2020 | News

A Community of Compassion

Celebrating the community present in giving the gift of sight to others during Eye Donation Month in November.

Eye Donation Month | November 2021

Join Saving Sight in celebrating the gift of sight and raising awareness about corneal donation and transplantation during Eye Donation Month in November. This annual observance, created by the Eye Bank Association of America, serves as an opportunity for eye banks, partners, and communities to commemorate the lives of individuals who have given vision to others through eye donation. The 2021 Eye Donation Month theme, “A Community of Compassion,” highlights the many individuals who work together to make restored vision through transplantation possible. 

Honoring the Gift of Eye Donation

In 2019, 68,759 individuals in the U.S. became eye donors, providing hope and sight to others in need of restored vision. At Saving Sight alone, eye donors help to give the of sight to 8 individuals each day. Scot, pictured to the left, is one of the many heroes who have given sight to others living in the darkness of corneal blindness.

Read Scot's Story

You Can Help This November!

One of the many ways that you can support Saving Sight’s mission to change lives by saving sight is to help us raise awareness for the need for eye donation and help get others to join the organ and tissue donor registry! Whether it’s making a goal to get a group of friends to register online, or sharing a story on social media about the life-changing gift of eye donation, Saving Sight has got you covered with resources. 

Follow Saving Sight on Facebook at @WeSaveSight for stories to share all month long. And, when you’re on Facebook be sure to check out the Eye Bank Association of America’s profile picture frame commemorating Eye Donation Month. To access the profile picture frame just log into your personal Facebook account, click your profile picture and select “update profile picture” and then “add frame.” If you search for Eye Donation Month, you’ll find a special frame created just for November! Stay tuned to our social media feeds all month long for other extras like stickers and camera effects and how to use them!

Finally, please make sure that you are directing individuals to registerme.org as a call to action for them to sign up on the eye, organ and tissue donor registry! Their selfless decision may someday give others both life-changing and life-saving gifts.

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The Healing Legacy of Eye Donation

Hear Byron’s story and legacy as an eye donor, as told by Patrice in this moving remembrance courtesy of the Eye Bank Association of America. 

A New View on Life: Matt’s Cornea Transplant Journey

For Matt, a cornea transplant meant the difference between fading vision and a world brought back into focus. Matt’s journey began unexpectedly after a seemingly minor ear infection ruptured as he slept. As he wiped his pillowcase, discharge from his ruptured eardrum,...
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Honoring Chad: A Mother’s Tribute to Love and Legacy

Chad, a vibrant soul with a zest for life, left a mark on those who knew him. "He was a very happy person," Linda fondly recalls. "He loved to have fun, joking and wrestling around." Tragically, Chad's journey came to an end in January 2017 due to a car accident....
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Kathy’s Journey of Restored Sight Through Transplantation

Kathy's journey to restored sight began after her cataract surgery in the fall of 2023. The procedure that she expected would improve her vision did not deliver the results that she was expecting and led to the discovery of underlying vision issues. “After my cataract...
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ScottHagerty photo

Transplant Recipient’s Vision Twice Renewed

Scott's journey to restored vision began on a farm in central Kansas when he was 19. After unloading grain from storage bins, Scott noticed that his left eye had swollen shut. Scott eventually found his way to Dr. Bruce Grene in Wichita, Kansas where he was treated...
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A Transplant Becomes an Opportunity for Regained Sight

For years, Karie of Kansas City, MO, suffered from reduced vision in her right eye after a bout with shingles while on chemotherapy. She was left with scarring from the shingles on her eye that impacted her vision and resulted in corneal blindness. At first, she was...
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Neal’s Restored Vision Provides New Clarity

Neal's life took a transformative turn in April 2022 when he underwent a corneal transplant, bringing newfound hope and clarity to his world. Neal, a resident of Kansas City, suffered from Fuchs Dystrophy, a progressive eye condition that clouded his vision and...
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Transplant Recipient Begins 2023 With a New View

“Frankly, I was thinking that there was a good chance that I was going to lose my sight, and it didn’t occur to me to think about a transplant.”

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Restored Vision Gives Funeral Home Director New View

As a funeral director, Diantha worked closely with the eye donation process for many years in her family’s funeral home. She often spoke with families whose loved ones had chosen to give the gift of sight, and therefore was very familiar with Saving Sight and its...
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Changing Lives Through Sight Restoration in Tanzania

On July 2, 2021, Saving Sight distributed 6 corneal tissues to the  Donor Network of Arizona to be used by one of their surgeons in Tanzania for a mission trip. Dr. LeeSa Jackson joined Dr. Elisante Jackson Muna at the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center to perform a...
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Becky’s Legacy

  In Memory of Becky H., 1973-2021 "Becky was a strong advocate for those in need, especially children. She loved genealogy, German food, and her family and friends," says Eric. #LegacyGarden #DonorHero  
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Support the Mission

You can help us our quest to educate others about the life-changing gift of eye donation by purchasing our Eye Donation Month merchandise. Each image features the words of  donor families and transplant recipients about how eye donation has provided hope and healing in their lives.

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