The Donation Process
A North Carolina Donor Family Chooses to Give the Gracious Gift of Sight
It is a difficult fact that when someone receives the miracle of Sight, a loved one has passed away. The death of a loved one is an emotionally difficult event, yet from this sad event a miracle can occur. Resources on how to cope in this time of need can be found under the resources tab of our website.
Medical Professionals Make a Donor Referral
Hospital, hospice, EMS, and funeral home professionals will contact NCEB to notify us that your loved one wished to be an organ and tissue donor. After NCEB Donor Center receives notification, a donor coordinator will contact the next of kin to discuss donation options; as well as, obtain a medical and social history.
Recovery and Evaluation of the Ocular Tissue
If the tissue is suitable for transplant or research NCEB will send out a Surgical Recovery Specialist to recover the tissue and bring it back for evaluation. A team of Eye Bank Technicians evaluate the tissue and prepare it for the transplantation surgery.
Cornea Request and Transplantation
Ophthalmologists around the world 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.
