Letter To The Editor: November is Eye Donation Month

Editors Note: The views and opinions expressed in this editorial are not necessarily the views or opinions of Oskaloosa News.

November is Eye Donation Month, and I encourage all Iowans to register as organ donors. You can do this when you get your driver’s license, your hunting, fishing, or trapping license, or by clicking register now at iowalionseyebank.org/

Anyone can be an eye donor: your blood type does not have to match. It does not matter how old you are, and all major religions encourage donation. The cornea is the only part of the eye that can be transplanted, so many eye conditions such as near-sightedness, far-sightedness, and previous cataract or Lasik surgery do not prevent an individual from becoming a donor.

Donated eye tissue, whether healthy or impaired, also is needed to continue research of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), glaucoma, numerous inherited eye diseases, and retinal disorders.

Cornea blindness affects nearly 12 million people worldwide. Transplants are 95 percent effective, and there is no waiting list for a transplant in the United States, thanks to a robust eye banking network that includes Iowa Lions Eye Bank.

Iowa Lions Eye Bank recovers, evaluates, processes, and distributes ocular tissue from all 99 counties in the state to researchers, surgeons, and other professionals across the United States. In 2025, Iowa Lions Eye Bank will mark 70 years of preserving and restoring sight.

This Eye Donation Month, please sign up as a donor, and tell your loved ones of your wishes. For more information, please visit iowalionseyebank.org

Esther Baker

Executive Director
Iowa Lions Eye Bank
Coralville, Iowa