What is a cornea and how do cornea transplants restore sight?

The cornea is a clear dime-sized tissue that covers the front of the
eye. If the cornea becomes clouded through disease or injury, vision
is impaired and sometimes lost entirely.
The only substitute for a human cornea is another human cornea donated
at death by someone who thus leaves a living legacy.

Who can donate eyes?
Almost everyone can donate his or her eyes. Donor tissue that cannot
be used for transplant can, with consent, be used for medical
education and research purposes.

How can we donate our eyes?
There are two very important steps we must take to become a donor. We
have to sign a donor card and carry it with us. Then we must talk to
our family members and we must let our family members to know that we
wish to be an eye donor. Unless our donor card is available at the
time of death, our next of kin will be responsible for granting
consent. It can be a difficult decision for them if our wishes are not
known. Having a discussion about donation with our family is the first
step in the effort to restore sight and light lives.

Is there a cost to donate eyes?
There is no cost to donate eyes. Transplant agencies pay any costs
associated with recovery of organs and tissues from donors.

Would donating delay funeral arrangements?
Donating should not delay funeral arrangements. It may take additional
time, usually no more than four hours, to coordinate the donation
process with the funeral home, and for any extra efforts taken to
prepare the body for presentation.

Can we have an open casket?
Eye donation should not prevent having an open casket service.

Does our religion support eye, organ and tissue donation?
All major religions support donation. However, if we have concerns
about our religion’s position, we can get in touch with our religious
leaders.

Is cancer a rule-out for eye donation?
No, cancer does not automatically prohibit eye donation.

If we wear glasses can we still donate our eyes?
Yes, we can! People who have poor vision and wear glasses, or have had
previous eye diseases or surgery can still donate, since these
conditions may not affect the cornea. Eyes donated to The Eye-Bank
that are not medically suitable for transplant may be used for medical
research and education. For example if we have had Lasik surgery we
can donate for research and medical education purposes.

Are families told who will receive the donation?
It is Eye-Bank policy to keep donor and recipient identities
completely confidential. However, certain information can be shared
and The Eye-Bank offers to conduct correspondence between donor
families and recipients as long as identities are kept anonymous.
Recipients especially are encouraged to send “Thank-you” notes to
their donor families through The Eye-Bank.

Can the family designate a recipient?
It is possible to designate a recipient although it is fairly unlikely
that a donation would occur in a timely manner to facilitate a needed
transplant. However, if at the time of death a family member is in
need of a cornea transplant then The Eye-Bank will make every effort
to match the donor tissue with that person.

What kind of research is done with eye donations?
Research into diseases such as cataracts, glaucoma and diseases of the
retina are advanced through eye donation.

How long do recipients usually wait for a cornea?
Cornea transplant surgery is typically an elective procedure allowing
the surgeon and patient to choose the most convenient day for the
surgery to take place. The need for emergency tissue is met within 24
hours.

How long can a cornea be stored?
The Eye-Bank keeps a “bank” of tissue in its laboratory. Fortunately,
cornea tissue can be preserved and stored for several days before it
is used for transplant. However, since the demand for ocular tissue is
so great most donor tissue is distributed within a day or two after
its arrival.

What happens to unused tissue?
Tissue not used for transplantation or research is disposed of in an
ethical manner.

Our Eyes will See the World even after our Death-By Eye Donation

http://infoqueenbee.blogspot.com/2007/11/donate-eyes-see-world-after-death-also.html

Thank you and God Bless.
I have the full donor on my drivers license.