March is National Eye Donor Month

Southeast Missourian

The Heartland Lions Eye Bank, a division of the Missouri Lions Eye Research Foundation, aims to preserve and restore the sight of people in Missouri and around the world. The Eye Bank operates seven branches throughout Missouri, Kansas and Illinois with headquarters in Columbia, Mo. It is the fourth largest eye bank in the United States and offers high-quality donor cornea tissue to transplant surgeons worldwide. The Eye Bank is also committed to research for causes and cures for eye disease.

More than 46,000 cornea transplants are performed annually in the U.S., helping thousands regain vision lost due to ocular disease, disorder or injury.

National Eye Donor Month, celebrated in March, celebrates the gift of sight and stresses the importance of pledging to become an eye donor.

Individuals who make the decision to become an eye donor may sign the back of their driver's license or state identification card to designate their wishes or add their name to the state's donor registry. For more information on Missouri's donor registry, call (888) 497-5464. For a complete listing of state donor registries, visit www.shareyour life.org.