ANN ARBOR, Mich., May 17, 2023 – Eversight, a nonprofit eye bank dedicated to restoring sight and preventing blindness worldwide through donation, transplantation and research, has been awarded a $7,312.40 grant from the Superior Health Foundation to support the purchase of recovery and processing supplies to make eye donation and corneal transplantation possible in the Upper Peninsula (U.P.).
“We applaud the work of Eversight and are pleased to offer this grant funding,” said Jim LaJoie, executive director of the Superior Health Foundation. “The gift of sight is incredibly special, and we want to do our part to help fund transplantation and research efforts.”
In 2022, Eversight worked with 1,760 Michigan donors and their families who gave the gift of sight for transplantation, research and education, including 41 from the U.P. In the same year, 1,393 tissues were provided for transplantation in Michigan, including 16 tissues to residents in the Upper Peninsula.
“Corneal blindness is the fourth leading cause of blindness worldwide,” said Alex Teska, Philanthropy Director, Eversight. “With the Superior Health Foundation’s gift and others like it, we can address this global burden while supporting our clinical operations as Eversight continues honoring the wishes of Upper Peninsula eye tissue donors and their families by providing tissue for sight-saving transplants for U.P. residents.”
The Superior Health Foundation’s mission is to assist with unmet healthcare needs, health education, and programs and research on preventing illness and promoting health in the Upper Peninsula. Its vision is to improve the health of the residents of the Upper Peninsula.
Better eye health can lead to broad-reaching benefits across a variety of socio-economic factors. As the sole eye bank serving the entire state of Michigan, Eversight is the only organization recovering this precious gift and preparing it for critical sight-saving transplants.
About Eversight
Eversight is a nonprofit organization with a mission to restore sight and prevent blindness through the healing power of donation, transplantation and research. The Eversight network is responsible for recovering, evaluating and providing human eye tissue for transplantation; supporting research into the causes and cures of blinding eye conditions; promoting donation awareness through public and professional education; and providing humanitarian aid to people around the world in need of corneal transplantation. Operating in Connecticut, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio and South Korea, Eversight works in collaboration with surgeons, researchers, academic medical centers and eye banks across the United States and abroad. For more information, visit eversightvision.org.
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