Madison Lions Club

The Gift of Sight on the Move

Corneal transplantation can restore sight, but donated tissue must first travel safely and promptly from the place where it is recovered to the Lions Eye Bank of Wisconsin in Madison. When tissue is ready for transplant, it must then reach the surgical center where it is needed.

Volunteer drivers from Lions Clubs throughout Wisconsin help make those journeys possible. This statewide transportation network is often called the Cornea Express. Madison Lions Club members are proud to take part in this sight-saving service.

How the Relay System Works

A single volunteer usually does not drive across the entire state. Instead, Lions transporters relay secure boxes of eye tissue between established pickup and drop-off points. At each meeting point, the box is transferred to the next driver for the next leg of its journey.

1. Trained recovery personnel recover donated corneal tissue at a hospital or other medical facility.
2. Lions volunteers relay the recovered tissue toward the Lions Eye Bank of Wisconsin in Madison.
3. Eye Bank professionals evaluate and process the tissue to determine whether it is safe and suitable for transplantation.
4. Tissue approved for transplant is sent from the Eye Bank to a surgical center, with Lions volunteers again helping with transportation when needed.

The system carries tissue both toward and away from Madison: incoming tissue is brought to the Eye Bank for evaluation, while transplant-ready tissue is sent outward to surgeons and their patients.

What Is a Recovery Kit?

Lions transporters also deliver recovery kits. A recovery kit contains the specialized supplies a trained recovery professional needs to recover donated corneal tissue safely and respectfully.

Hospitals and other recovery locations keep kits available so they are ready when a donation occurs. For that reason, a volunteer may carry several kits on one trip. After a kit is used and donated tissue is recovered, the tissue begins its relay back to the Eye Bank in Madison.

What the Lions Eye Bank Does

The Lions Eye Bank of Wisconsin coordinates the recovery, evaluation, processing, and distribution of donated corneal tissue. At its Madison facility, trained professionals examine recovered tissue and determine whether it can be used safely for transplantation. The Eye Bank then works to place suitable tissue with transplant surgeons, giving priority to the needs of patients in Wisconsin.

Tissue that is not suitable for transplantation may, when authorized, support research and education that advance the understanding and treatment of eye disease.

Why Volunteer Transportation Matters

Donated corneal tissue is precious and time-sensitive. The relay network allows it to move efficiently across Wisconsin at any hour while sharing the driving among local volunteers. Every completed leg connects donor families, medical professionals, the Eye Bank, transplant surgeons, and patients waiting for the chance to see more clearly.

To learn more about corneal donation and transplantation, visit the Lions Eye Bank of Wisconsin website.