Political Quotes

“Mr. President, today I wish to honor March 2016 as National Eye Donor Month, an event first celebrated by President Reagan in 1983 and one I am proud to commemorate now. For over 50 years, corneal transplants have restored the vision of those with corneal diseases. Today these procedures are overwhelmingly safe and successful and help reduce the impact of eye disorders on our economy. As a result of higher medical expenses and reduced workforce productivity, eye disorders are the fifth costliest disease type in the United States. In total, over 70,000 people receive corneal transplants each year. The largest eye bank in the United States, Eversight, operates two locations in Illinois. These institutions, one in Chicago and one in Bloomington, facilitated over 3,000 transplants in 2015 and provided nearly 1,500 corneas for research and training purposes. Thanks to the 2,700 eye donors in Illinois in 2014 and the thousands of other donors across the country each year, scientists are closer to finding treatments and cures for corneal blindness and many patients no longer suffer from impairment or loss of vision. On this special occasion, I commend the Eye Bank Association of America and the eye banks across this country for their great work, encourage my colleagues to promote eye donation, and urge all Americans to register to become eye donors. ____________________”