[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 33 (Tuesday, March 1, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Page S1133]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        NATIONAL EYE DONOR MONTH

  Mr. KIRK. Mr. President, today I wish to honor March 2016 as National 
Eye Donor Month, an event first celebrated by President Reagan in 1983 
and one I am proud to commemorate now.
  For over 50 years, corneal transplants have restored the vision of 
those with corneal diseases. Today these procedures are overwhelmingly 
safe and successful and help reduce the impact of eye disorders on our 
economy. As a result of higher medical expenses and reduced workforce 
productivity, eye disorders are the fifth costliest disease type in the 
United States.
  In total, over 70,000 people receive corneal transplants each year. 
The largest eye bank in the United States, Eversight, operates two 
locations in Illinois. These institutions, one in Chicago and one in 
Bloomington, facilitated over 3,000 transplants in 2015 and provided 
nearly 1,500 corneas for research and training purposes. Thanks to the 
2,700 eye donors in Illinois in 2014 and the thousands of other donors 
across the country each year, scientists are closer to finding 
treatments and cures for corneal blindness and many patients no longer 
suffer from impairment or loss of vision.
  On this special occasion, I commend the Eye Bank Association of 
America and the eye banks across this country for their great work, 
encourage my colleagues to promote eye donation, and urge all Americans 
to register to become eye donors.

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