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Media Articles
November 19, 2009 For more information, please contact:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Southern Eye Bank (504) 891-3937
Colleen Oltmann
Director of Education and Development
www.southerneyebank.com
THE GIFT OF SIGHT
New Orleans , Louisiana.---- Pies are baking and leaves are falling. Southern Louisiana is preparing to celebrate the holidays with friends and family. Oh how busy this time of year can be! Stores will soon be full of shoppers purchasing gifts for everyone on their holiday lists. Gifts for family, gifts for friends, gifts for business associates and such - the list goes on and on. While many families are purchasing gifts that can be unwrapped on Christmas morning or presented during holiday gatherings, some families are pledging a gift that does not come from a store and cannot be bought. This gift is the GIFT OF SIGHT.
Southern Eye Bank, a non profit 501 (ac) (3) organization understands the importance of The GIFT OF SIGHT. This very simple to give and does not need to be given only during the holiday season. It is a most precious and generous gift that only requires a simple "yes" and the only cost is a little love. Pledging to give the GIFT OF SIGHT starts with the decision to donate ocular tissue at the time of death. There are a few ways to pledge this gift once the decision to donate has been made. The Louisiana State Donor Registry contains the names of thousands of fellow Louisiana who have decided to donate ocular tissue. To be included in the Louisiana State Donor Registry, a donor card from Southern Eye Bank could be signed as well as by registering at the Department of Motor Vehicles when a driver's license is renewed. The Louisiana State Donor Registry can also be accessed on Southern Eye Bank's web-site at
WWW. SouthernEyeBank.com.
Upon death, the potential donor's next-of-kin will be asked if donation would be considered.
If a family discussion about this subject is not talked about, the default answer is normally "no". If the decision about donation is made, family members should know. Whether the decision is for donation or against donation, allow family members to have the answer to a question that will be inevitably asked.
NOTE: If you are or know of a recipient of a corneal transplant and wish to send a letter or note to the donor's family, thanking them for the GIFT OF SIGHT, simply visit our web site for instructions or call our office. Southern Eye Bank offers speakers to educate about the need for ocular tissue and the benefits of the corneal transplant. Speakers are also available for complimentary classes on eye health and safety for children 2nd to 8th grade. To schedule a speaker, call our New Orleans office at (504) 891-3937 or our Lafayette office at (337) 593-8883.
The GIFT OF SIGHT was granted to nearly 700 seven people who had a corneal transplant performed last year. The corneal transplant is not only the most common but the most successful of all transplants, more than 96% successful.
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PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Colleen Oltmann FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Southern Eye Bank October 15, 2009
Director of Education and Development
4621 West Napoleon Avenue
Suite 209
Metairie, Louisiana 70433
Halloween night…A scary time for eye docs
It’s inevitable…thousands of children will take to the streets in the pursuit of sugary delights on Halloween night. These children will not only end their evening with a sack full of candy, they might also end it with an unwanted surprise---an eye injury.
Every year, eye doctors and emergency rooms are bombarded with children and adults who received an eye injury on Halloween. Philip Castillo, Executive Director of Southern Eye Bank, states “Last year 500,000 people were admitted to the emergency room for eye injuries and half of those admitted were under the age of 21”. A large percentage of these patients received the injury while participating in Halloween festivities; many of them required corneal transplants. Although Southern Eye Bank mainly recovers, evaluates and distributes ocular for transplantation, the non-profit organization also understands the need to educate the community about keeping their eyes safe in order to prevent a corneal transplant caused by injury or trauma.
This year, children trick-or-treating in hurricane recovery areas, should be more observant than in recent years. Corneal abrasions can result from blighted homes with un-kept yards and low lying branches. Dust and debris can easily enter the eyes due to structural deficiencies in streets and sidewalks and the increased number of stairways attached to elevated homes and temporary housing trailers create a safety hazard that may perforate the eye or cause severe swelling or bruising to the area if a fall occurs. These hazards pose a higher risk on Halloween because festivities generally take place in the evening.
This Halloween, Southern Eye Bank offers the following suggestions on how to reduce the risk of your child receiving an eye injury on Halloween:
* Skip the masks, eye-patches, wigs and hooded costumes.
Masks, wigs and hoods can reduce peripheral vision and eye patches reduce depth perception. In lieu of these costume accessories, wear hypo-allergenic make-up and remove it with make-up remover or cold cream instead of soap.
* Do not use pointed or sharp props at home.
Often, props make the costume; however, pointed or sharp props such as spears, pitch-forks, swords and knives can be extremely dangerous when children play with the it in highly populated areas under low-light conditions.
* Use flashlights to illuminate your home when participating in the festivities.
Flashlights will illuminate holes in yards, uneven pavement and it will also make your child visible to vehicular traffic. Illuminating your home will encourage a safe environment for approaching children, especially if your home has steps or lush landscaping surrounding the entrance way.
* Cosmetic, decorative contact lenses should only be worn if prescribed by an eye doctor.
Contact lenses, even non-prescription lenses, are medical devices and should only be used when prescribed by an eye doctor. Consumers can often find cosmetic, decorative contact lenses via the internet or drug stores; but in doing so, they are at risk for severe ocular infection, injury, trauma and even the potential of irreversible loss of sight. If a child wishes to wear these contact lenses, an eye doctor will properly and safely fit and prescribe the contact lenses.
For more information about keeping your children’s eyes safe and healthy, contact your eye doctor or visit www.preventblindenss.org.
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SOUTHERN EYE BANK
Contact Information:
Colleen Oltmann, Director of Education and Development
Southern Eye Bank
4621 West Napoleon Avenue
Suite 209
Metairie, Louisiana 70001
504-891-3937
504-891-2401 FAX
coltmann@southerneye.net
www.southerneyebank.com
REQUESTED RELEASE DATE: July 2007
THIS NON-PROFIT HAS VISION
Southern Eye Bank celebrates 60 years of restoring sight
It’s summertime in Louisiana; ballparks are filled with kids, lakes are filled with boats and highways are filled with traveling vacationers. Even post-Katrina life offers hundreds of things to do, see and experience in the greater New Orleans area. But what do you do if you suddenly become blind? For those experiencing corneal blindness, the answer is Southern Eye Bank.
For hundreds of Louisianans and thousands of others across the nation, corneal disease, injury or infection causes a significant decrease in vision, often rather quickly. An anticipated summer of fun can rapidly become an anticipated summer of anxiety. The onset of sudden blindness can bring about uncertainties regarding financial, physical and emotional well-being. Colleen Oltmann, Director of Education and Development for Southern Eye Bank, states “When the cornea, the clear window of the eye, becomes cloudy, diseased or injured, visual acuity is severely reduced; this occurrence generates fears of not being able to live a normal life. Usually, the only method for restoring vision to those with corneal blindness is the corneal transplant.” The corneal transplant is a surgical procedure that replaces a defective segment of a host cornea with a healthy section of a donor’s cornea.
Southern Eye Bank, a non-profit organization, recovers, evaluates and distributes ocular tissue for transplantation because of one reason and one reason alone---Eye Donors.
Because Louisiana families other states, more people seem to know of someone who has undergone a corneal transplant. People like to talk...share their stories...celebrate their loved one's decision to donate ocualr tissue. The fact that so many Louisians say "YES" to donation is a fourtunate situation because nearly 700 people in Lousiana have their vision restored due to available donor tissue.
The corneal transplant, as do most medical procedures, has evolved over time. In 1905, a successful procedure in which corneal tissue from one human was successfully transplanted into another human was performed. This break-through procedure launched a new and exciting development in the field of medicine – the corneal transplant.
Initial interest in the new procedure was low and transplants were performed infrequently during the first few decades; however, ophthalmic professionals quickly became more excited due to an organized eye donor registry that was being discussed, an increase of public support and the creation of specialized surgical instruments to use during the procedure.
In 1937, the late Dr. George Haik, Sr. performed the first corneal transplant at the former Charity Hospital in New Orleans by removing an eye of a living donor, who was scheduled to have it removed anyway, and immediately transplanting the donor’s healthy cornea onto a sixteen year-old boy who had lost his vision (due to a lime burn). After the success of the transplant, local residents embraced the notion that the blind could have their vision restored.
During WWII, blindness increased due to war-trauma and disease. As corneal transplant surgery became more successful, the need for donor tissue multiplied. Eye banks were created to meet this need. New Orleans was chosen as the distribution center for the Southeastern portion of the United States because it was the outstanding medical center of the South. Thus in July of 1947, Southern Eye Bank, the third oldest eye bank, opened up its doors for business.
Three corneal transplants had been performed with donor eyes provided by Southern Eye Bank that first year and by March of 1952, more than 200 donor eyes had been provided for corneal transplantation. In 2005, the organization was anticipating over 2,000 donor eyes until Hurricane Katrina destroyed the laboratory and displaced staff. Executive Director, Philip Castillo remembers the ordeal very well. “Southern Eye Bank has a pretty intensive hurricane preparedness procedure policy. Because of the fore-thought that went into the policy and the generosity of the Baton Rouge Regional Eye Bank’s laboratory, Southern Eye Bank was back in business in a little less than two weeks. We had no other option, too many people rely on us and our service.” Surprisingly, medical records were spared the wrath of the storm. While working out of the Baton Rouge Regional Eye Bank, daily operations continued; although, due to the lack of residents and hospitals, donor numbers plummeted. “There are so many people in need of a corneal transplant, Southern Eye Bank could not and would not close its doors.
Southern Eye Bank’s staff recovered ocular tissue primarily from south central and southwest Louisiana. The recovery, evaluation and distribution process was finally getting back to normal when Southern Eye Bank faced another crisis…Hurricane Rita.
Because flood waters and wind damage crippled the 3 story building Southern Eye Bank calls home in Metairie, Southern Eye Bank’s staff knew that they had to act fast if Rita was to hit the area. Staff received permits to enter Jefferson Parish to salvage records, computers and other precious items from the 60 year old organization’s history. Oltmann, who lives in Covington, remembers hanging hundreds of photographs and newspaper clippings on several makeshift clothing lines in the attempt to salvage what memories from the past she could. Overall, less than 30 photographs and a few dozen newspaper clippings were salvageable. In January, 2006 Southern Eye Bank returned to their Metairie location.
As Southern Eye Bank settled in to their “new-old” office, thoughts of the Louisiana Children’s Museum entered into the minds of the employees quite frequently. The brainchild of the late Dr. Oliver Dabazies, a former president of Southern Eye Bank’s Board of Trustees, showcases optical illusions, ocular anatomy, disease and care, as well as a miniature eye doctor’s office where kids can don scrubs and ‘perform’ a corneal transplant on an alligator. The exhibit, entitled Eye-to-Eye, took over one year of planning, designing and funding to become reality. It was feared to be lost until a very welcomed phone call was made by Julia Bland, Executive Director of the Louisiana Children’s Museum with good news. Thankfully, the 1,000 square foot exhibit survived the storm with very little damage.
There are now 80 eye-banks in the United States. All of whom share the same goal – to distribute corneal tissue to anyone in need of a sight-saving/restoring corneal transplant!
During Southern Eye Bank’s first year of operation, a massive education campaign about the need for eye donors was made to the public. Over 2,000 “pledge-cards” were obtained during the first 10 months and an additional 1,000 were received during the last two months. Currently, Southern Eye Bank has thousands of pledge cards on file but many of those who completed the donor card have moved to another state, changed addresses or have passed away. “Pledging to become an eye, tissue and organ donor is very easy, simply register at the DMV, via our website at www.southerneyebank.com or request a donor card from our office at 504-891-3937..
March is National Eye Donor Awareness Month. The Southern Eye Bank, a non-profit organization in metro New Orleans, has helped restore the vision of tens of approximately 35,000 people since 1947. This would have not been possible if not for the generosity of generous and selfless people in southern Louisiana.
The need for corneal tissue has increased every year; however, the supply is never satisfied. To provide eye tissue for transplantation, research and education, the public needs to know there is a need. Without the assistance of the general public, patients in need of this precious gift are left to wait in pain and darkness for months and sometimes years. It is important to know that ANYONE CAN BE A DONOR, even if they had poor vision or cataracts.
Spokeswoman, Colleen Oltmann, states “Pledge cards are available by calling the Southern Eye bank at (504) 891-3937, via internet on our website www.southerneyebank.net or you may give consent to donate your eyes when you renew your driver’s license. It is very important to discuss your intention to donate with your loved ones. Many families who have suffered the loss of a loved one are willing and capable of stepping beyond the bounds of grief to choose vision for another they will never know.”
For more information on the EYE-DEAL gift, call the Southern Eye Bank today! Lecturers are available throughout the year for health fairs and educational seminars.
MARCH 2005
PRESS RELEASE
For More Information Contact:
For Immediate
Release
Colleen Oltmann, CEBT, Director of Education
Southern Eye Bank
504-891-3937
coltmann@southerneye.net
REPRESENTATIVE FRED UPTON (R-MI) TO PROCLAIM
NATIONAL EYE DONOR MONTH FOR 2005
WASHINGTON, DC – The Eye Bank Association of America
(EBAA) announced today that Michigan’s
District 6 Representative Fred Upton (R-MI) will proclaim
March 2005 National Eye Donor Month.
Mr. Upton, a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee
and a member of its Subcommittee
on Health, has championed the cause of donation and particularly
the needs of the nation’s eye banks. The
Congressman was instrumental in helping pass H.R. 399, “The
Organ Donation Improvement Act,” through
the House of Representatives in 2003. Mr. Upton helped to
ensure that the donation process includes and
recognizes the contributions of all the partners in donation.
The EBAA is proud to have Mr. Upton be the sponsor of Eye
Donor Month for 2005, as it marks the
centennial of the first corneal transplant performed in
1905 by Dr. Eduard Zirm. The EBAA looks forward
to working with him in the future to continue to promote
eye donation and the work of eye banks on a state
and national level.
National Eye Donor Month has been proclaimed every year
since 1983 to raise awareness of the need to
donate eyes. The EBAA proudly thanks Mr. Upton for his efforts
to help in the mission to restore sight.
The Eye Bank Association of America (EBAA), established
in 1961, is the oldest transplant association in the
nation. The EBAA is dedicated to the restoration of sight
through the promotion and advancement of eye
banking. It has led the transplantation field with the establishment
of medical standards for the distribution of
eyes and comprehensive training and certification programs
for eye banking personnel. These standards have
been used as models for other transplantation organizations.
Member eye banks operate in the United States,
Canada, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. These eye banks
make possible more than 45,000 sight-restoring
corneal transplants annually. In Louisiana, more than 800
people had received corneal transplants in 2004. For more
information on how you can become a potential donor, call
Southern Eye Bank in Louisiana at 504-891-3937 or log on
to the web-site at www.southerneyebank.com.
# # #
EBAA •1015 18th Street, NW, Suite 1010 • Washington,
DC 20036 • www.restoresight.org
Southern Eye Bank
4621 West Napoleon Avenue, Suite 209
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