EYE DONATION (Anugraha Vision Foundation Trust)

In Association with Anugraha Vision Foundation Trust, is a unique project for collection and storage of eyes in the Vijayapur district. The main objective of the trust is to collect and store from enthusiastic donors and make it available for the needy. Though a tedious and discouraging procedure, the trust with like minded people has taken the much required initiative of this hour.

WHAT IS CORNEA?

Cornea is glass like covering over the pupil of the eye.

HOW DOES THE CORNEA GET DAMAGED?

The cornea usually gets damaged because of infections or injuries of the eye or poor nutrition especially childhood.

HOW CAN EYESIGHT BE RESTORED?

Person who have lost their sight because of damage to the cornea can hope to regain it with corneal grafting.

ARE THERE ANY SYNTHETIC SUBSTITUTE FOR THE CORNEA?

So far no substitutes have been developed for the cornea.

WHAT IS CORNEAL BLINDNESS?

Corneal blindness encompasses a range of eye conditions that ultimately affect the transparency of the cornea, leading to the blindness. Attacking to root causes of corneal blindness is the best path to blindness prevention.

WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF CORNEAL BLINDNESS?

Causes of corneal blindness include :

1. Vitamin a deficiency
2. The after-effects of bacterial, fungal, or viral infections
3. Eye trauma
4. Congenital disease

Traditional medicine or home remedies, which often harm the eye rather than relieve pain or improve eyesight

HOW COMMON IS CORNEAL BLINDNESS?

According to the World Health Organization, corneal blindness is the world’s fourth leading cause of blindness, following cataract, glaucoma and age related macular degeneration.

Trachoma, an infection disease endemic in poor, rural pockets of the developing world, is the leading cause of corneal blindness, with approximately 4.9 million people blinded by it.

WHO CAN PLEDGE EYES FOR DONATION AFTER DEATH?

Anyone can donate his/her eyes with out consideration of age, sex or social status. It has been proven beyond doubt that almost everyone can donate eyes. People who wear spectacles, with high B.P., diabetics or people with systemic disorders like asthma, tuberculosis, or even those who have undergone cataract surgery can donate eyes. The only criterion is a healthy and clear cornea.

PROCEDURE TO DONATE EYES

procedure for eye donation is actually divided into 3 parts.

Pledging of eye by the prospective donor. This is preferred but not necessary.

Consent of the next of kin to donate after the death of the individual Calling the eye bank to retrieve the eye of the deceased and implementing the directions of the eye Bank to help keep the corneas in a good condition till they arrival.

The eye Bank team arrives and within approximately 30 minutes the cornea is harvested, stored in a preservation medium and taken immediately to the Eye Bank. Here the cornea is tested, evaluated and distributed as per rules laid down by the Eye Bank Association of India.

THE DONOR:

The most important action you can take to ensure you will be a donor is to tell your family and legal representative. It is helpful if they know how you feel in advance.

Keep a donor card with you at all times so it will serves as an indication to your family, your legal representative and hospitals of your intention to be an eye donor.

THE DONOR’S RELATIVES:

The Donors relatives have the authority and moral responsibility to donate the eye of the deceased, especially if the donor expressed his desire during his/her lifetime.

PROCEDURE TO BE DONE AFTER THE DEATH OF THE DONOR / NON DONOR. PROCEDURE OF RETRIEVAL OF EYES AND CORNEAL TRANSPLANT.

The patient has to be kept in a separate room. The patient’s relatives will not be let into the room. The team of doctors will remove the eyes under aseptic precautions. The eyes will be kept in sterile containers and in cold chamber. The socket is filled with cotton material and sutured, so that the absence of the eyeball is not noticeable. There will not be any disfigurement of the face even after the eyeball is removed. The retrieved eyes will be taken to the hospital where the cornea is removed and used to transplant in corneal blind patients.

IMPORTANT STEPS BEFORE EYE DONATION

Get the valid death certificate quickly.

1. Contact the eye bank as soon as possible.
2. Close the eyelids and cover it with moist cotton and keep it moist till the eye bank team arrives
3. Switch off the fan (Switch on the air condition if possible).
4. Raise the donor’s head by 6 inches by placing two pillows under it.
5. Please note that a blood sample is collected from donor to check for HIV, Hepatitis etc.,
6. Keep the consent of the family members of the deceased donor ready, as it is mandatory

Procedure to be done after the death of the donor / non donor
Informing to Anugraha Vision Foundation Trust.
Switch off the Fan.
Place Ice cubes over the eyes.
Eye donation should be done within 6 hrs of the death of the donor.

ARE ANY COSTS INVOLVED IN EYE DONATION?

No fees are charged from the family. The eye collection center will rush a doctor to the donor’s home. This is a free service in the public interest.

All eye banks are non-profit organizations with a mission to procure and provide donated human eye tissue for sight restoring transplantation procedures as well as providing vital tissue for research and education.

TIPS ON HOW TO DONATE EYES

FOR DONOR

1. Fill the pledge form available I eye banks informing your intention of donating your eyes.
2. We will send you the donor card. PRESERVE THIS CARD CAREFULLY.
3. Discuss your intention of eye donation with your family doctor and relatives.
4. Declare your intention to donate your eyes in your will
5. If you shift to a new house, record the address, telephone number of the new Eye bank nearest to your home.

For Relatives

1. Get the vital death certificate quickly and call the nearest eye bank for eye collection.
2. Switch off fans and place wet cotton/cloth over closed eyelids, to keep eyeballs moist.
3. Please not that a blood sample is collected from donor to check for HIV, hepatitis, etc.,

FACTS ON EYE DONATION

1. Eye donations is only after death. Let our eyes live forever after our death
2. Collection of eyes takes only 30 minutes and will not disfigure the face. No age limit to donate eyes.
3. Eyes are to be collected within 6 hours of death.
4. One pair of eyes gives vision to two corneal blind people.
5. Anyone can donate their eye even with cataract, poor sight, diabetes, hypertension or old age
6. People who have undergone any surgery can also donates eyes.
7. The deceased need not necessarily be an eye donor for donation of eyes.
8. Collecting, processing and distribution of eyes are done totally free of cost
9. Eyes will be collected at donor’s place anywhere throughout the coastal region at anytime day or night
10. Register yourself, your family and friends at eye donors free of cost. Wallet card will be forwarded to every eye pledger

WHEN YOU COME ACROSS DEATH, PLEASE

1. Appeal to the kith & kin of the deceased to donate eyes.
2. Close the eyes.
3. Raise the head with pillow put of the fan.
4. Put a polyhthene cover with few ice cubes on forehead.
5. Inform to Anugraha Vision Foundation Trust.

Always remember the family who had the decision to donate, it is our responsibility to honor the gift.

This is the final gift that an individual can give, we must make it their best.

Let your eyes change someone’s life make eye donation your family tradition.

LET YOUR EYES CHANGE SOMEONE’S LIFE…
BE A PART OF EYE DONATION CAMPAIGN…

• Lions Club
• Rotary Club
• Indian Red Cross Society
• Local Co-operative Societies
• Women self help groups (Sthree Shakthi )
• Community organizations

• Camps per month = 5 Camps.
• Camps per year = 60 Camps
• Camps conducted till Date = 200 Camps.
• No of Free surgery in camp still Date = 10000.