There are 15 million cases of corneal blindness (curable blindness) in India of
which 4.6 million (90 percent of corneal blindness in India) are below the age of
45 including 60% of patients below the age of 12. The cornea is the clear transparent
portion or a button as it is called, in front of colored iris and round pupil of
the eye. It is also mostly responsible for focusing the light rays on retina, making
it very important part of the eye.
The loss of transparency results in loss of sight making it a common cause of blindness.
Thus the demand for corneal tissue is far greater than its supply, therefore the
Endeavour to make awareness.
We could do this because of someone’s eye donation. So, be a sight saver. Donate
your eyes. Help two blinds to see the WORLD.
Coming to terms with bereavement is hard; but the idea that our death may help others
can be comforting. Here are a few facts that would dispel doubts and queries.
Steps to take care for donation of the eyes
- Call the nearest eye bank within SIX HOURS of the death of the person.
- Switch off fans & keep AC on, if you have one.
- Close the eye lids gently and keep a moist cloth over eyes.
- Raise head with a pillow.
Points worth to be noted
- Persons of any Age/Sex can donate their eyes
- Persons who have undergone surgery for Cataract, Glaucoma or using Spectacles can
also pledge and donate their eyes.
- Eyes should be donated preferably within SIX hours after the death.
- Nobody is charged for making eye donation. The only cost to encounter is one local
telephone call.
- Face will NOT get disfigured after eye donation. As per the new procedures, only
Cornea portion is removed and hence face disfigurement does not happen.
- Immediate family members or relatives can donate the eyes of the deceased even if
the deceased had not pledged for eye donation during his/her life time.
- Eyes can be donated to any eye bank in India but preferably to the nearest eye bank
to avoid delays.
- TWO Corneally blind persons can get sight due to a single person's eye donation.
Myths associated with Eye Donation
Here, you can get to know some MYTHS associated with Eye donation, in India, that
may be preventing many people from donating their eyes...
Some people think that if they donate their eyes, it will leave holes in the place
where their eyes existed. Wrong. Only the Cornea portion of the eye is removed and
hence the appearance of the face of the deceased remains the same.
Some other people are of the opinion that if they donate their eyes in this life,
they shall be born blind in the next life. Wrong. There is no written rule about
this and nobody has experienced this! Eye donation is truly a good deed and a good
deed always begets good. All religions and their institutions support eye donation
and consider it as one of the best donation a person can make.
Some people hesitate to pledge their eyes for donation worrying about how their
relatives will react. Such people should keep in mind that a little resistance should
not hinder the good deed that one is performing. In fact, they should try to motivate
their relatives and friends for donating the eyes, by describing the good effects
of this donation movement.
Person with eye problem like Cataract or Glaucoma cannot donate their eyes. Also,
the person is very old and hence cannot donate his/her eyes.
Wrong. A Person who HAS Cataract or Glaucoma CANNOT donate their eyes, But a person
OPERATED for Cataract or Glaucoma can BE considered for eye donation. Also, Age
will not come into picture while donating the eyes. As long as the person or his/her
family/friends have a good mindset of doing some good to blind, can donate their
eyes.
I was reading an article in the Newsletter of EBAI where i found that the eyes of
an 105 year old lady of Mysore district was donated (in 2002) and now, her eyes
is used by two blind persons to see this beautiful world! How amazing it could be...
Hopefully, in this 21st century, people will not yield to these myths and hence
come out and volunteer themselves for donating their eyes, to make this world a
'blind-free' world!!
Once again, ARISE, AWAKE, SPREAD THE WORD and HELP THE NEEDY!
A well worked stategy to increase Eye Donation awareness called HCRP Hospital Corneal
Retrieval Program (HCRP) is a proactive program initiated in some hospitals across
the country. In this programme, a specially trained social worker, called Eye Donation
Counselor (EDC) [or Grief Counselor] is positioned at a hospital round the clock
at the ICUs, Trauma units, Nephrology centers and so on, to build up rapport with
the attendants, staffs and doctors. When the death occurs, after the bereaved family
has reconciled itself to the tragic reality, the EDC makes a sensitive request for
the donation of the eyes.
It has been found out by the EBAI (Eye Bank Association of India) that the success
rate is good and has been effective.
Quick look at the procedure for pledging/donating the eyes
Pledging procedure:
Any person can walk into the nearest Eye Bank and PLEDGE their eyes for donation.
Once you are in eye bank, ask for the Eye Pledge form available there.
- This form needs to be filled with the correct contact details, signed by 1/2 witness/es
(can be your relative/friend) and given back to the eye bank.
- Once done, the eye bank people will issue a DONOR card that has contact details
of the eye bank.
- Please place this card in a place of your home where all the family members has
access to it.
- At the time of that person’s death, his/her relative/friend, who was a witness for
the pledge form or any other family member/friend who had the knowledge that the
person who passed away intended to donate the eyes, should call the nearest eye
bank.
One important aspect to be noted here that it is NOT sufficient if a person pledges
for donating his/her eyes after the death. Pledging is just 20% of the work done
and the rest lies with the actual eye donation. His/her relatives and friends should
be well informed and be well aware to call the nearest eye bank, for donating the
eyes after their death.
Donating procedure:
Irrespective of whether a person has pledges his/her eyes OR not, eye donation can
happen. Pledging is for creating awareness and acts as a reminder to do this job.
Once a death of a person happens in your family or in your friend's family, pick
up the phone and dial to the nearest eye bank. Please note that this should be done
WITHIN 6 hours of the death. Give the eye bank officials the location of the house
along with a landmark so that they can come soon and collect the eyes. These eyes
will be giving a new life for 2 blind people!!
Important points to be taken care after a person's death, before eye donation: After
the death of a person...
- Call the nearest eye bank within SIX HOURS of the death of the person.
- Switch off fans & keep AC on, if you have one.
- Close the eye lids gently and keep a moist cloth over the eyes.
- Raise head with a pillow.
- Keep the death certificate from a doctor ready by the time the Eye Bank team arrives.
About Pledging Eyes
- Anyone can make a pledge to donate one’s eyes.
- Write or call the Eye Bank for a pledge card.
- Sign and send the pledge card to the Eye Bank.
- The Eye Bank will send you a ‘Donor Card’ and ‘Companion Card’.
- Carry the ‘Donor Card’ with you always and give the companion card to your next
of kin.
- Discuss your wish to donate your eyes with your family and friends.
- Strive to pledge the eyes of the whole family.
Please act upon, keeping in mind the above points and pledge/donate the eyes and
Gift Sight.
“Eyes are a precious gift to a person. But the same eyes bring misery when misused
or when they are lost. A wise man utilizes that gift while alive and on death too”.
- A famous poet.