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.
Cornea Transplant is Music to One’s Ears
As a gifted piano player, Elizabeth often entertained seniors at a senior housing facility in Neosho, Mo. But as her eyesight began to fail, she faced difficulties playing all the requests. "I would play by ear many of the songs the residents wanted me to play, but if...
Fish Have Someone to Fear After Recipient Regains His Sight
Tying a fly for fly fishing can be difficult for someone even with 20/20 vision. But for an individual suffering from a blinding eye condition, the challenge can be downright impossible, stealing away the joy of a sport he once loved. For years, Chris of Kansas City...
Twin Brothers Undergo Sight-Saving Transplants on the Same Day
As identical twins, Garry and Larry have shared a lot in common – careers in the insurance industry, a love for fishing, and unfortunately, Fuchs' dystrophy, a genetic disease which slowly stole their eyesight over the years. The only hope to restore their lost vision...
The Compassion of a Little Boy, The Strength of a Tiger
From the moment he entered the world, Mason Kempf made an impact on everyone he met through his big smile and bigger heart. By the time he left this world in March 2011, that impact wrapped around the globe and showed complete strangers how one little boy can change...
Sight Saved in Haiti Thanks to Saving Sight Partner in Sight
In a developing country like Haiti, vision loss can be a devastating blow to an individual’s ability to work and support one’s self, not to mention his or her entire family. Glaucoma, cataracts, corneal blindness – disorders that can be treated here in the U.S. – can...
Lion’s Legacy Lives on Through Donation
In McDonald, Kan., Duane Wilkens was long known as someone you could turn to for help in the community.A grain elevator operator, father to three, and grandfather to seven, Duane devoted much of his free time to his family, yet still found time in his busy schedule to...
Cornea Recipient Thanks Those Who Made Her Transplant Journey Possible
Where do I begin? So many people have contributed to my gift of vision this past year. They say it takes a community to raise a child. In my case, it took a community of compassionate professionals and individuals to provide me with the amazing gift of sight that I...
Clouds Lift for a Cornea Transplant Recipient
Each school day, first graders in Centralia, Kansas open their books and their minds thanks to one special teacher. As a Reading Recovery teacher, Marsha helps those children who are struggling with reading gain the skills they need to become stronger students. Yet,...
Cornea Transplant Opens New Chapter in Recipient’s Life
When you tell someone you work in a library, they automatically think you’re an avid reader. But for Denise from Hays, Kan., a part-time library employee, the opposite was true. Not because she didn’t love to read, but because a lifelong eye condition affected her...
Cornea Transplant Gives Recipient Independence Back
For years, Larry lived with the pain and inconvenience of an eye disease called keratoconus. The condition caused his corneas in both eyes to become cone shaped, leaving him with poor vision, constant headaches, eye pain and frequent eye infections. The condition...