SPONSOR:

Rep. Jaques & Sen. Poore

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

149th GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 10

RECOGNIZING MARCH 2017 AS NATIONAL EYE DONOR MONTH & THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF LIONS EYE BANK OF DELAWARE VALLEY.

WHEREAS, March 2017 is National Eye Donor Month and the 60 th anniversary of Lions Eye Bank of Delaware Valley; and

WHEREAS, the State of Delaware supports and promotes the health and welfare of its residents through various statewide, neighborhood-based and national awareness initiatives; and

WHEREAS, vision is one of several important senses that contribute to the general well-being and quality of life of Delaware’s citizens and the gift of sight is deserved by all; and

WHEREAS, some residents of Delaware experience diminishing vision and blindness as a result of illnesses and injuries affecting the corneal tissue of their eyes; and

WHEREAS, the Eye Bank Association of America (EBAA), the oldest transplantation association in the United States, accredits Eye Banks and develops standards of practice in the recovery, preservation, storage and distribution of eye tissue for transplantation and research, as determined by the ophthalmological medical community; and

WHEREAS, Delaware residents receive Eye Banking care and services from EBAA accredited facility, Lions Eye Bank of Delaware Valley, whose mission is restoring sight through cornea transplantation since 1957; and

WHEREA S, each year, over 70,000 corneal transplantation surgeries are performed at EBAA accredited Eye Banks; and

WHEREAS, it is recognized that the benevolent offer of organ, tissue and cornea donation and transplantation is an act of heroism by donors and their families; and

WHEREAS, it is only through the generosity of donors and their families, who say ‘yes’ to cornea donation, in the midst of their grief, that recipients of cornea transplants are able to regain vision; and

WHEREAS, the Eye Bank of Association of America honors each year in March donors and their families who unselfishly consider members of the community in need of a sight-saving transplant.

NOW, THEREFORE:

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the 149th General Assembly of the State of Delaware, the Senate concurring therein, that the month of March 2017 shall be recognized as “Eye Donor Month” and the General Assembly further recognizes and celebrates the 60 th anniversary of the Lions Eye Bank of Delaware Valley in the State of Delaware.

SYNOPSIS

This House Concurrent Resolution recognizes March 2017 as “Eye Donor Month” in Delaware and recognizes the 60th anniversary of the Lions Eye Bank of Delaware Valley.