[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 27 (Friday, March 13, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S1958]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        NATIONAL EYE DONOR MONTH

  Mr. DeWINE. Mr. President, this month--March 1998--is 
National Eye Donor Month. The purpose of National Eye Donor Month is 
simple: It is to alert each and every American family to the terrific 
opportunity each of us has to make a difference in someone else's life.
  Many Americans don't realize that they have it in their power to give 
somebody else the ability to see. But it's true. If you declare now 
that after your passing, you want your eyes to be donated to an eye 
bank, your eyes can become someone else's gift of sight.
  Mr. President, this is a great opportunity. Indeed, it is a great 
responsibility--one that all of us should take very, very seriously.
  According to the most recent statistics, over 4,000 Americans are 
waiting for a corneal transplant--an operation that can restore the 
gift of sight. These Americans could have this operation today--if only 
there were enough donated eyes available.
  The purpose of National Eye Donor Month is to remind Americans that 
we can make those corneas available. Every year, thousands of Americans 
donate their eyes to eye banks. In 1996, over 87,000 eyes were 
donated--and over 43,000 transplants were performed.
  Now, these numbers need some explaining. That seems like a pretty 
substantial disparity. But there's a good reason for it--a very strict 
screening process that keeps out those who test positive with HIV, 
those who have hepatitis, and those with unhealthy cells on their 
corneas.
  Those are just a few of the reasons why many corneas are unsuitable 
for transplantation. But the corneas from these donors are used. They 
are used in other very important ways. They are used for research and 
surgical training, and other medical education.
  It's because of this screening process that I just described that eye 
transplant operations have such an incredible success rate--over 90 
percent.
  This screening process and this rate of success, however, require a 
greater number of donations. If we could increase the number of eyes 
donated to eye banks, we could take care of the 4,545 patients who are 
still waiting for corneal transplants today, as well as the 40,000 
people who join their ranks every year.
  Mr. President, as I said, this kind of surgery really works. In the 
37 years since the founding of the Eye Bank Association of America, 
EBBA-member eye banks have made possible over half a million corneal 
transplants.
  But there simply aren't enough eye donors. The only solution is 
public education--making the American people aware of what we can do to 
help out.
  That's what National Eye Donor Month is all about. This month, let's 
recommit ourselves--as a nation--to giving the gift of sight to our 
fellow citizens.

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