eye bank overview

The miracle of corneal transplantation can make restored or improved vision possible for many visually impaired people. But the transplantation process depends on the priceless gift of a donated cornea when a person dies. Every year hundreds of families in Northeast Ohio make the decision to give the gift of sight when a loved one dies. This decision not only helps to give sight, but it also helps the donor families in their grieving by providing an opportunity for some good to come from their loss.

For almost 50 years the Cleveland Eye Bank has been part of making the miracle of sight restoration possible. Founded in 1958, the Cleveland Eye Bank is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to restoring sight by providing donated eye tissue for cornea transplantation, research, and teaching. Donated eyes are retrieved, evaluated, and distributed by the eye bank. The Cleveland Eye Bank serves almost 5 million people and over 60 area hospitals in Northeast Ohio.