Eye donation is a multi-step process relying on the generosity of donor families and the careful coordination of medical professionals. Here is an overview of the donation process.

1. Someone Dies.

It is a difficult fact that when someone receives the miracle of the Gift of Sight, a person - a spouse, friend, mother, father, child, co-worker - has died. The death of a loved one is an emotionally difficult event, yet from this sad event a miracle can occur.

2. Prospective Donor Referral. After a person has died, either the eye bank or organ procurement organization receives a referral informing the donor coordinator that a death has occurred. 3. Medical Assessment. The eye bank donor coordinator works with the hospital or donor volunteer to conduct a preliminary medical assessment to determine the suitability of the prospective donor's corneas for transplantation.

4. Family Consent.

If the prospective donor's tissue is deemed medically suitable for transplant, then the eye bank contacts the family to seek their consent for donation to occur. A donor coordinator discusses all aspects of eye donation with the family and answers any questions a family may have prior to donation. The eye bank must receive a family member's consent for donation to occur.

5. Recovery of Corneas.

Once the family has agreed to donation, the donor coordinator dispatches a team to recover the donor corneas. Recovery teams are strategically located throughout North Carolina to ensure that recovery occurs in a timely manner.

6. Analysis and Evaluation.

Once donor corneas have been recovered, laboratory technicians analyze and evaluate them for medical suitability. This includes ensuring that the corneas are healthy enough for transplant and that the tissue is free of any disease and viruses that could harm a donor recipient. If donor corneas are determined to be unsuitable for transplant, they are used for research and education.

7. Tissue Preparation.

After a thorough laboratory evaluaton, donor corneas are then prepared for transplant and stored until requested by a physician.

8. Cornea Request and Transplantation.

Ophthalmologists across North Carolina work with patients suffering from a wide variety of eye diseases, injuries and ailments. Once it has been determined that a cornea transplant is the appropriate medical treatment, the physician contacts the eye bank to request a cornea for transplantation. The cornea is delivered to the surgeon's operating room for transplantation.

9. Healing and Recovery.

Cornea Transplants are done on an outpatient basis. The recipient's vision is usually blurry for three to six months. For the first six weeks, heavy exercise and lifting of heavy objects are prohibited but otherwise recipients can lead normal lives. Most people return to work three to seven days after their surgery, depending on the type of work they do.

10. The Anonymous Gift.

The Gift of Sight is made anonymously. Specific information about the donor or donor family is not made available to the recipient. Similarly, specific recipient information is not made available to the donor family. A recipient or donor family may correspond with each other anonymously through The North Carolina Eye Bank.