First proclaimed by President Ronald Reagan in 1983, National Eye Donor Month promotes eye donation awareness and celebrates the lives of eye donors and corneal recipients. This year, Governor Herbert has declared March 2016 as Eye Donor Month in Utah.
The Utah Lions Eye Bank at the John A. Moran Eye Center and other members of the Eye Bank Association for America promote public awareness of the need for eye tissue donations in Utah and throughout the United States. Thanks to the selfless donations of many, in 2015, the Utah Lions Eye Bank provided 448 corneal transplants for Utah residents and over 500 additional corneal transplants for people all over the world to help recipients to regain the gift of sight.
Sight restoration to over 1,000 recipients in 2015 would not have been possible without the support of many community partners. John A. Moran Eye Center's industry leading medical standards--- acknowledged and respected by government and peers alike---have contributed to the efficacy and safety of transplanted corneal tissue. The efforts of corneal surgeons and certified eye bank technicians have also contributed to the significant advances in corneal surgery, but above all else, we commend eye tissue donors and encourage Utah residents to consider becoming organ, eye, and tissue donors.
Please contact Megan Corrent Langford, Director of Marketing and Business Development at 801.213.0260, or megan.langford@hsc.utah.edu for further information about Eye Donor Month in Utah or the Utah Lions Eye Bank.
The Utah Lions Eye Bank, established in 1972, serves the community and the Intermountain region by encouraging people to register to donate their eyes, tissue and organs. The Utah Lions Eye Bank is a member of the Eye Bank Association of America (EBAA) which sets standards, provides education, and engages in advocacy to support eye donation, and cornea transplantation and research. Utah Lions Eye Bank's mission is to restore sight through restoring hope through vision.