MICHIGAN, July 17, 2024 –The Rollin M. Gerstacker Foundation has awarded Eversight a $10,000 grant to support the purchase of cards sent to donor families to honor the one-year anniversary of their loved one’s passing.
These cards have been personally developed by Eversight staff and are meant to ease some of the grief these donor families are experiencing and show respectful remembrance of their loved one during otherwise difficult times of the year.
“The Rollin M. Gerstacker Foundation’s gift will help ensure that donor families whose loved ones give the gift of sight each year receive the proper care and treatment they need to begin their healing journey,” said Alex Teska, Philanthropy Director, Eversight. “Their support will be instrumental in providing the aftercare our donor families deserve.”
During the first year following a loved one’s donation, outcome letters are mailed to the family, sharing how the eye tissue was used. Additionally, families of donors are invited to attend a donor family memorial service to honor their loved one and recognize the gift they have given. Donor family members receive guidance on corresponding with transplant recipients if desired and are invited to join Eversight as ambassadors for sight. Donor family members are also invited to place a living memorial in their loved one’s memory on Eversight’s Donor Tribute page.
“The anniversary cards are being incorporated into Eversight's donor family aftercare program, ensuring they receive the comfort they need during one of the most difficult times of their lives,” Alex said.
The Rollin M. Gerstacker Foundation was founded by Mrs. Eda U. Gerstacker in 1957, in memory of her husband. Its primary purpose is to carry on, indefinitely, financial aid to charities of all types supported by Mr. and Mrs. R. M. Gerstacker during their lifetimes. These charities are located in the states of Michigan and Ohio.
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 Arizona, 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.
Media Contact
Mackenzie Mohr
Communications Director
(517) 204-1413
Interested in receiving periodic news and updates from Eversight? We invite you to sign up to receive our emails.
