You can gift eyes

People of any age can donate eyes. Next of the kin or relatives can donate eyes of the deceased even if he/she has not pledged for eye donation in the lifetime.

Eyes can be donated even by

• Persons wearing spectacles.
• Those who have undergone eye surgery
• People suffering from diabetes or hypertension and other systemic disorders like asthma, tuberculosis or heart diseases
• Anybody can donate eyes if he/she has a clear cornea even if the retina or optic nerve is damaged.

Why donate eyes

What better way to show gratitude for the beautiful life endowed to us by God! Let us make this life worthwhile by giving the precious treasure of eyes to those who can see when we are gone.
It's our great fortune to be able to change the lives of others by bringing light in their world. Your decision to help today will:

• Renew life through the 'Gift of Sight'
• Loss of sight means terminal loss of earning for family. The eyesight can pull the family out of poverty by way of opening employment opportunities.
• Bring back colours to somebody's life
• Help find a cure for blindness through research 
• Lessen the impact of grief of the donor family by being able to help others.

All religions support eye donation. Cornea is retrieved through a simple procedure of 15-20 minutes, free of cost, by medical experts, anywhere and without any inconvenience to the donor family. Eye donation doesn't leave any scar or disfigurement on face of the respected donor.

 
Dos and Don'ts

Eyes are removed by a trained person using sterile procedure.  It leaves no scar or disfigurement of the face.  Eye donation gives sight to two persons as one blind person receives one donated eye. 

• Eyes can be donated irrespective of whether the deceased had pledged his/her eyes or not.
  

• Eyes have to be removed within six hours of death.  So lose no time in informing the nearest Eye Bank.

• Switch off fans, keep air conditioner or cooler running and place wet cotton with ice over the closed eyelids.  It will help keep the tissue moist.

• Raise the head with a pillow.

 

Eye donation time-line 

The donated eyes are never bought or sold.  Request for eye donation is always attended to.

The Eye Bank personnel with a doctor or trained technician visits the donor’s home.  This is done free of cost.  10 cc of blood sample is collected from the donor for testing. On reaching the Eye Bank, tissues are examined, processed and used for corneal transplant operation as early as possible. The needy patients are contacted in accordance with the waiting list at the Eye Bank.  Emergency cases are dealt with in conformity with guidelines. The recipients of cornea will always remain anonymous but the donor family should be satisfied knowing that the eyes have been used to restore the vision of two blind persons.