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.
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...
Heartland Lions Eye Banks’ Work in Corneal Transplantation Contributes to Total Lifetime Net Benefit of Nearly $6 Billion
Corneal transplants performed in the United States this year will result in nearly $6 billion in total net benefits over the lifetime of the recipients, according to a six-month study undertaken by the Eye Bank Association of America (EBAA). Heartland Lions Eye Banks...
Cornea Transplant Improves Sight and Quality of Life for Mother of Three
Cathy from Bethalto, Illinois didn’t know she was suffering from a serious eye disease until she sought a consultation for Lasik surgery. The surgeon explained that the reason her contacts no longer fit and why she wasn’t a candidate for Lasik was because the shape of...
FiJaBAM Update: Former Employee Bikes the US and Makes Big News for MLERF
FiJaBAM is short for "Fiji and Jasmine Bike Across America." Jasmine, a former employee who worked with donor families in the Donor Services Center, embarked on a cross-country bicycle trip in mid-April with two goals in mind: 1) cycle 4,000 miles from New York City...