Kansas Become a First-Person Consent State

Making the choice to donate a loved one’s eyes, organs and tissue can be difficult for a donor family, especially at the most heartbreaking time of their lives. Over the past few years, Missouri and Illinois have eased the burden by creating a first-person consent registry, allowing individuals to make their own legally-binding decisions regarding donation. On July 1, 2010, Kansas will follow in their footsteps with its own first-person registry.

Vision Screening Results Surprise Parents

Although Alexis from Kansas City was still an infant, her mother took her for her first professional eye exam in the fall of 2009. The doctor found signs of far-sightedness, but assured her mother, Shelly, that treatment could wait.

Just a few months later, the 14-month-old was screened by the Missouri Lions Eye Research Foundation’s Children’s Vision Screening program at her learning center, Cerner Innovation Kids. The screening showed Alexis demonstrated signs of amblyopia, or “lazy eye,” a leading cause of blindness in children.

It's Not Too Late - 50th Anniversary Tickets Still Available!

This weekend on June 12th, the Missouri Lions Eye Research Foundation and Heartland Lions Eye Banks will be celebrating our anniversary with 50 Years of Saving Sight, a special luncheon recognizing this important milestone.

The event will be held at the American Legion Hall, 600 Legion Lane in Columbia. Tickets are $20, and can still be reserved by contacting Nicole Plegge at nplegge@mlerf.org.

See you on Saturday!

Governor Jay Nixon Signs Donate Life Month Proclamation

On May 19, 2010, Heartland Lions Eye Banks joined Midwest Transplant Network and organ donor families and recipients from across Missouri for the National Donate Life Month proclamation signing by Governor Jay Nixon. As of April 30th, 2,712,224 Missouri residents have pledged to become eye, organ and tissue donors.