This week we were able to attend a special event in Madison at the Lions Eye Bank of Wisconsin. Through our choice of organ donation, two people have been given the “Gift of Sight” through cornea transplantation, and at this meeting we also learned that likely up to twenty other people were helped with various significant vision problems through the use of the sclera. Before going to the meeting, I read a little about this organization. It was founded by the Lions Club after a guest speaker, Hellen Keller, “spoke” at one of their meetings in 1925. Her challenge was for them to become “’Knights of the Blind’ in a crusade against blindness.” They accepted her challenge and now, a hundred years later, they are doing just that, around the country and around the world, including here in Madison and Milwaukee through the Lions Eye Bank of Wisconsin. It’s an interesting thought that Hannah is part of the continuation of Hellen Keller’s “life” and legacy.
The meeting had two “guest” speakers. The first was a mother of a boy named Louis who passed away at the age of 19 after being hit by a drunk driver. She shared about her son and their life before and since his tragic passing. She also shared about his personal desire to donate his organs. This decision was driven by his love for other people and his understanding that those life-saving gifts would no longer be of any use to him. He too was able to give the “Gift of Sight” to others. The second speaker was a young woman in her thirties, who ended up with two very rare infections in her eye after a kayaking trip. Yes, it was as simple as that! She must have gotten some water in her eye on the trip and the bacteria in the water was able to penetrate deep enough into the cornea to cause the infection. This penetration is because she wore contacts, which we learned can scratch the eye. Those scratches are called corneal abrasions. She went from an active lifestyle into a very prolonged and painful battle against these two rare and hard to diagnose infections. Towards the end of her battle, she lay in a dark room day and night and had to take eye drops every couple of hours to try to get relief and healing. When things were at their literal “darkest,” her condition was finally diagnosed properly, but even though she was getting better, she still needed a cornea transplant to see. Now after she has made a full recovery, she is happy to share her story and to share her appreciation for those who have given such a great gift, the “Gift of Sight!”
The speaking portion of the meeting was pretty brief, and after it finished there were some lite refreshments. Then we were able to learn more about the Lions Eye Bank of Wisconsin (LEBW). A man named Adam took us on a tour of their facility there in Madison. We saw where they kept the corneas and learned how they went from procurement all the way to implantation. We also learned that corneas can only last seven to eight days, so their process, which involves volunteer transporters, needs to be thorough and efficient. With their amazing team and their careful handling and inspection of these corneas, he said that they have a 100% success rate for the past two years. With this record, their “gifts” are in high demand. They serve all of Wisconsin and also send them domestically, as in our case, where Hannah’s recipients were in Nebraska and Texas. Some corneas are sent internationally too. I believe he said that they have been able to help people see in forty-two countries around the world. Finally, we were told of a woman from Greece who has been there, at their facility, learning how they operate. She is going to go back home and open the first eye bank in her home country, and with their help, I’m sure she will succeed.
If you would like to learn more about LEBW, here is the link to their website: https://lebw.org/ . There’s a lot of information on their site! One of the neat features I saw on their site is an app that you can download on your phone that allows you to be able to “experience” what it’s like to have any of seven serious eye conditions. Here’s a direct link to that: https://lebw.org/simulator-app/ .
So, our journey continues! We are slowly being educated in so many things that we knew nothing about. Honestly, these opportunities are met with real raw emotions at times and mixed feelings. When we entered the building, Janean and I received red lanyards that say, “Giving the Gift of Sight Donor Parent” and the boy’s lanyards are blue and say, “Donor Sibling.” These are reminders of why we were there and where we are in our lives. These remind us that these great “gifts” only came by the greatest loss. It’s exciting to hear about the successes, but we feel the cost too.
We are blessed
Hannah Helps 