North Carolina Eye Bank

In North Carolina, a team of visionaries saw the possibilities of this medical procedure and organized to lobby the North Carolina legislature for the establishment of an eye bank. Lead by L. Byerly Holt, M.D. , the group persuaded the legislature to pass General Statute 90-216, making possible in October 1951 the founding of The North Carolina Eye & Human Tissue Bank (to become The North Carolina Eye Bank in 1996). The new organization would become the fifth eye bank established in the United States. The mission of The North Carolina Eye Bank is to recover, process and distribute ocular tissue for the restoration of sight through corneal transplantation and related medical therapy and research. To accomplish our mission, we are committed to: * Educating the public and medical communities about the need for eye and tissue donors * Ensuring that the wishes of donors and donor families are carried out to the greatest extent possible * Maintaining procedures to maximize quality of tissue distributed * Working cooperatively with ophthalmologists and other professional clients to ensure optimal results for the recipient