Eye Donation Month is an annual observance raising awareness about cornea donation and transplantation, honoring the gift of sight given by selfless donors and their families, celebrating corneal transplant recipients, and educating about eye donation and encouraging individuals to register as donors.
This year's theme, "Everyday heroes," celebrates how nearly anyone can be a cornea donor and therefore a superhero by giving the gift of sight. It also honors all the “everyday” superheroes who help restore and preserve sight: donors and their families, eye bank staff, corneal surgeons, champions of eye donation and more.
Comic Book Artist explains why donors are superheroes
We all love heroes, whether they are wearing capes and flying through the sky or lifting a heavy obstacle to save the day.
I’m Phil Hester and I’m a professional comic book artist. For years, I’ve drawn superheroes like Wonder Woman, Green Arrow, Batman and the Flash, but thanks to the gift of eye donation, I can see what I draw.
Several years ago, my eyes started getting more sensitive to light and my vision got very foggy. I was diagnosed with a genetic disorder called Fuchs Dystrophy and told I needed cornea transplants to restore my vision. Without my sight, I wouldn’t have been able to continue my career.
Luckily, two strangers I have never met came through for me in my time of need. Everyday heroes, who said yes to eye donation. I can’t thank them and their loved ones enough for their gifts.
I had my cornea transplants in 2016, and I could see better immediately. And I can still see well enough to continue doing what I love, drawing comics.
I want people to know that anyone can be a hero. That’s because anyone can be an eye donor. You don’t have to have X-Ray vision or laser beams coming out of your eyes. You don’t even have to have great vision. You just need one superpower.
The power to say, “Yes.”
Yes, I will be an eye donor.
Yes, I will help people see again.
People like me.
Check Out Our Comic Book
Download our special Comic Book! The cover features "Cornelia," our Iowa Lions Eye Bank mascot drawn by Phil Hester!