The Alabama Eye Bank (AEB) has contributed the first tissue to what is to become the first eye Bank in Jamaica.

“We are delighted to have had the privilege to provide the tissue to such a needy place as Jamaica as part of our international outreach, and we trust this will lay and foundation for great progress toward the establishment of Jamaica’s first eye bank, “ Doyce Williams, AEB executive director, said.

The tissue sent by AEB through Vision Share, a not for profit consortium of eye banks, provided sight for two persons, according to Dr. Don Cameron-Swaby, consultant ophthalmologist, Eye Department, University of West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica.

“I have eight patients on the list and have done surgery on two patients, ages 62 and 75. Both transplantable tissue that I used came from Alabama Eye Bank,” Dr. Cameron-Swaby, said.

He said there most Jamaicans need cornea transplants because of trauma to the eye, fungal keratitis, pseudophakic bullous keratopathy, all of which can cause blindness. The problem is meeting the need in Jamaica, where the average Jamaican makes $4,400 a year (U.S.). Moreover, a corneal transplant could cost as much as $2,000, making it nearly impossible for most Jamaicans to get this type of surgery.

Especially needy are the children.

“Most of them will go blind if they don’t have a surgery like this, which will leave them with such a huge disability that they won’t be able to find any type of work,” Dr. Cameron-Swaby, said.

Jake Requard, managing director, Vision Share, understands the difficulty facing Jamaica, but he is hopeful that long-term funding for its eye bank can be realized.

“At Vision Share we are committed to seeing Jamaica establish an eye bank that can begin to address the many needs of the people. We are hopeful that through the establishment of a foundation corneal blindness can become a thing of the past. We simply need to create awareness of this immense problem and begin to deal with it.”

The Alabama Eye Bank is a nonprofit charitable organization that was founded in 1969. The Eye Bank’s headquarters is located in Birmingham, AL with regional offices in Huntsville, Mobile and Montgomery. The Eye Bank’s objective is to obtain quality human eye tissue and distribute it to qualified physicians where the need exists anywhere in the world.

Eye donations are used for sight-restoring corneal transplants, medical education and research. By working closely with healthcare organizations, the Eye Bank provides people the opportunity to receive the gift of sight through eye donations. For more information about AEB, visit www.alabamaeyebank.org