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White recently ran an Eye Donation Awareness Booth at the Holy Family Parish Bi-Annual Blood Drive providing people with organ donor registration forms and asking them to like The Eye-Bank for Sight Restorations’ Facebook page to promote awareness through social media.
Her next booth is scheduled for May 25 at the New Rochelle Memorial Day Weekend at Glen Island Park in New Rochelle, N.Y., hosted by the United Veterans Memorial and Patriotic Association of New Rochelle.
The events are designed to get the word out about the need for organ donation – especially in New York.
“People don’t realize that even if they have a medical condition like heart trouble or cancer, they can still be eye donors,” said White in a statement. “Corneas don’t have blood flow so they’re not affected by most diseases or health conditions.
“I was shocked to find out that New York is 49 out of 50 in registered organ donors. There are over 120,000 people in the US waiting for transplants and more than 10,000 are here in the New York City metro area.”
White’s grandfather was the inspiration for this project.
“He was a veteran who always tried to help people,” she said. “When he found out he had cancer he was sad because he thought he couldn’t be an organ donor. But we found out that eye donation is still possible even for someone with cancer. I think that’s important information everyone needs to know.”
White gave away free cupcakes decorated like eyes to anyone who filled out a donor registration card or liked the Facebook page.
Register to become an eye and organ donor at eyedonation.org and like their Facebook page at facebook.com/EyeBankforSightRestoration.
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