Mega Doctor News
It’s National Eye Donation Month in the United States, a special observance held every November to help raiseawareness about the life-changing impact of eye donation.
Along with honoring the generous individuals who have given the gift of sight through cornea donation, the initiative emphasizes the importance of eye, organ and tissue donation.
For those suffering from damaged or diseased corneas, their sense of sight is impaired. But through a corneal transplant, which replaces a damaged or diseased cornea with a healthy donor cornea, a patient’s sight can be restored, their pain reduced and the appearance of a damaged or diseased cornea can be improved.
In 2023, U.S. eye banks reported 137,697 total tissue recoveries from 69,637 donors, per the Eye Bank Association of America, an increase of 12.8% in the number of donors and 12.4% in the number of corneas donated compared to the previous year. That allowed eye banks to provide tissue for more than 78,000 sight-restoring corneal transplants.
Locally, the San Antonio Eye Bank – a non-profit organization that has become a leader in providing eye banking services to patients, surgeons and hospitals throughout South Texas – reported a total of 182 corneas donated in Hidalgo County in 2023, with 82 coming from a South Texas Health System facility, including 42 from STHS McAllen, 20 from STHS Heart, 18 from STHS Edinburg and two from STHS ER Pharr.
“South Texas Health System is honored to work hand in hand with the San Antonio Eye Bank, as well as the Texas Organ Sharing Alliance and the Texas Donor Network, to provide hope and healing, as well as the gifts of sight and life, to individuals and families,” says Krystal McCloud, BSN, RN, CCRN, Director of Nursing, Intensive Care Unit, STHS McAllen. “These partnerships are more than just collaborations; they’re lifelines to community members in dire need.”
To honor Rio Grande Valley donors who have selflessly given the gift of sight over the years, the Rio Grande Valley Division of the San Antonio Eye Bank partnered with South Texas Health System Edinburg to launch a first-of-its kind photo exhibition entitled, “Eyes of the Valley: A Legacy in Sight,” on Thursday, November 21 in one of the main lobby areas at the facility.
The exhibit features six portraits of local heroes, who in their deaths, gave the gift of sight to others by donating their corneas. Each portrait highlights a story from the donor’s family that reflects on the beauty of giving and the impact their loved one’s donation had on the community.
“Each portrait in this special exhibit connects to a special aspect of the donor’s life and shares a visual testimony of love, legacy and remembrance from their loved ones,” says Gabriela Hernandez, Hospital and Community Relations Specialist, RGV Division, San Antonio Eye Bank.
Created to shine a spotlight on the experiences and perspectives of donor families, the special installation will be on display at STHS Edinburg until Saturday, November 30. The community is welcome to visit the facility to view the portraits and learn more about the selfless donor heroes featured in them.
“We’re proud to partner with the San Antonio Eye Bank to celebrate these community heroes, their legacies and their families,” says Lance Ames, Chief Executive Officer, South Texas Health System Edinburg & STHS Children’s. “South Texas Health System is committed to being a meaningful partner in educating the community on the importance of organ, eye and tissue donation and transplantation to help improve the quality of life for thousands not only in the Rio Grande Valley, but across the country.”
To learn more about eye donation, please visit the San Antonio Eye Bank website at www.saeyebank.org. To register to become an organ, eye and/or tissue donor, visit www.donatelifetexas.org.
