Cornea Donation
Since 1960, Saving Sight has coordinated cornea donation and the distribution of corneas for transplant. Today, we operate in Missouri, Kansas, and central Illinois, and we distribute corneas to transplant surgeons in those states, the rest of the U.S., and around the world to help people receive the precious gift of sight.
Help us spread the message about eye, organ, and tissue donation in your community. If you haven’t yet, register your choice to donate online at Donate Life America or your local Department of Motor Vehicles office. And be sure to speak with your family about your decision.
Misko Continues to Advance Eye Banking Through Memorial Scholarship
Almost a year 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 considerably enhanced the ability to provide tissues needed by...
Pilot Receives Cornea Transplant and the Sight he Needs to Fly
Pilots undergo regular medical exams to retain their eligibility to fly, and a major component of that exam is the vision test. They must be able to see 20/20 with correction. Laren from Loose Creek, Missouri was told by his optometrist that he would someday need...
Heart of a Hero – Arnold’s Song
In April 2013, Saving Sight shared a story about Arnold, a happy-go-lucky man who donated his corneas to give the gift of sight to others. Arnold was a long-haul truck driver from Maine who passed away while in Springfield, Illinois for work, and his wife, Marie,...
Veteran from Illinois Will Enjoy Her Retirement Thanks to Corneal Transplants
Patricia, a veteran from Fairview Heights, Illinois, has experienced serious vision problems her entire life, including glaucoma, cataracts, and keratoconus. Keratoconus, according to the National Keratoconus Foundation, “is a non-inflammatory eye condition in which...
Corneal Transplants Enable Ursuline Sister to Continue her Ministry
Before she retired, Sister Teresa of Benton, Kentucky taught elementary school for twenty years. And after that, she worked in two different positions in university administration before she moved to parish ministry at a small church in western Kentucky. But despite...
A Nurse Gets her Sight and Life Back
“Colors are brighter, more vibrant,” said Patti, a nurse from Overland Park, Kansas, about her vision after cornea transplantation. “The first thing I noticed was the colors. Everything was just so much brighter, the beautiful colors. Before I was seeing them, but...
Name Change to Saving Sight Focuses Spotlight on Mission
Columbia, Mo. (December 6, 2013) – On December 1, 2013, the Missouri Lions Eye Research Foundation, a regional nonprofit with a 53-year history, changed its name to Saving Sight. The name change reflects the organization’s commitment to its mission statement: “We...
Saving Sight and Numedis Announce Memorial Scholarship
Saving Sight is proud to announce its partnership with Numedis, a manufacturer of corneal preservation media, to offer the Jachin Misko Memorial Scholarship for Technical Advancement in Eye Banking. Together, Saving Sight and Numedis will offer up to $2,000 to cover...
We are Saving Sight
The Missouri Lions Eye Research Foundation and Heartland Lions Eye Banks will operate under the name Saving Sight as of December 1, 2013. The moniker change was approved by the board of directors at their meeting in September because the new name unites the...
The Corneal Transplant Recipient Experience: Then and Now
Fred, from Springfield, Missouri, received a corneal transplant in November of 1970 before corneal donation and transplantation were as well-established as they are now. Saving Sight (known then as the Missouri Lions Eye Bank) and the Eye Bank Association of America...