[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 27 (Wednesday, March 5, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E378]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           MARCH 1997--NATIONAL EYE DONOR MONTH PROCLAMATION

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                         HON. MICHAEL BILIRAKIS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, March 5, 1997

  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, March is National Eye Donor Month. All 
throughout the country, the miracle of transplantation surgery is 
allowing people's lives to be enhanced or saved. Nationwide thousands 
of people are benefited every year through organ and tissue 
transplantation surgery. Today, I rise to request that we take a moment 
to focus on eye donation and on the importance of preserving and 
restoring sight through corneal transplantation.
  The benefits of sight-restoring transplant surgeries extend well 
beyond the people who receive the transplants; they also extend to 
their families, friends, and communities. In recent years, the efforts 
of Congress, educators, and the media have had an enormous impact on 
the success of eye donation programs.
  Corneal transplants have been performed since 1905, and eye banks 
have existed in this country for over 50 years. Since 1961, when the 
Eye Bank Association of America was founded, member eye banks have 
helped make possible over one-half million corneal transplants, with a 
success rate over 95 percent.
  Every year, thousands of corneal transplants are performed across the 
country restoring precious sight to both the young and the old. The Eye 
Bank Association of America is the Nation's oldest transplant 
association and is dedicated to the restoration of sight through the 
promotion and advancement of eye banking. In 1995, over 44,000 corneas 
were made available by our Nation's eye banks for use in 
transplantation procedures. Additional eye donations were used for 
research, training, and other surgical procedures. While figures for 
1996 are still being tallied, even greater totals are expected.
  In fact, just outside my district, the Lions Club of Tampa, FL runs 
one of the largest eye banks in the world. The Central Florida Lions 
Eye and Tissue Bank restores sight to over 2,000 people each year. 
Nevertheless, the need for corneal transplants continues.
  Many Americans do not realize that they have it in their power to 
give someone else the gift of sight. If you declare now that after your 
death, you want your eyes to be donated to an eye bank, your eyes can 
become someone's miracle--a gift of sight. This is a great opportunity 
and a great responsibility that all Americans should take very 
seriously.
  Anyone can be a donor. Neither cataracts, poor eyesight, nor age 
prohibit one from donating. However, it is important for individuals 
who want to be donors to inform family members of their wishes.
  We, in Congress, can lead the effort to educate the public about the 
need and importance of eye donation and encourage more Americans to 
become donors. We have joined the Eye Bank Association of America every 
year since 1983 in proclaiming a ``National Eye Donor Month.'' The 
purpose of National Eye Donor Month is to remind all Americans that 
they have the power to make the miracle happen for someone and that we 
can make the tissue available. By making this proclamation, we call on 
all Americans to support us in promoting eye donation in order to 
enhance the lives of our fellow citizens through the restoration of 
sight.

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