Newspaper Page Text
The Henry County Weekly - Advertiser? Thursday, September 23, 1976
She Awaits
Transplant
Of Cornea
Keratoconus begins In adolescence. By the time
you are 30, it has usually taken its toll, resulting in
blindness.
Jamie Carmichael, President of Carmichael
Motor Company in McDonough, developed this
disease in her right eye while in college. The disease
went unnoticed until she had lost most of her sight in
that eye.
"I did not realize that anything was the matter,
until I was in Biology class and had to look through
a microscope with one eye,” Jamie explained.
"When I looked through the microscope with my
right eye, I could not see a thing. Since that time, I
have only been able to detect a smidgen of color
with that eye,” she continued.
Jamie’s left eye provided her with vision for many
years to follow. It was not until this past spring that
. she discovered that her left eye had also developed
keratoconus. Having an acute attack, her cornea has
rapidly eroded. So badly, in fact, that Jamie is now
waiting to undergo a corneal transplant.
Keratoconus is just one disease affecting the
cornea of the eye. It distorts the natural shape of the
cornea to where it is no longer round but becomes a
conical (pointed) shape. This interferes with the
light that is admitted to the eye and leads to loss of
sight.
“I offer my story in hopes of reaping some benefit
for others who may also need a cornea,” Jamie told
the Weekly-Advertiser. Her concern is to make
people aware of what they can do to help others like
herself. Anyone can donate their eyes to an Eye
Bank, after their death, and give sight to a blind
fellowman.
An Eye Bank is an organization that supplies
donor eyes to eye surgeons for use in restoring sight
through corneal transplants. The donor eyes are
obtained from deceased persons who, while living,
have generously agreed to donate their eyes to the
Eye Bank upon death. By Georgia law, the family
may also agree to make the donation of sight at the
time of death.
The Eye Bank nearest Henry Countians is located
at the Emory University School of Medicine
Department of Opthalmology. It is sponsored by the
Lions of Georgia, through the Georgia Lions
Lighthouse Foundation.
"I offer my story In hopes of reaping
some benefit for others who may
need a cornea," Jamie told The
Weekly-Advertiser.
All religions have approved the donation. Corneas
from persons of any age, from infants through the
elderly, may be used to give sight to another. Any
adult, 18 years or older, can complete a donor form,
obtained through the Eye Bank. The large part of
the card should be returned to the Eye Bank and the
small section is kept as a wallet identification card.
Even if you wear glasses or have other eye
problems, you can still be a donor since only the
cornea is transplanted. “If you are nearsighted or
Premiums Reduced
On Insurance for
Some Veterans
ATLANTA - Beginning
October 1, 1976, approxi
mately 180,000 veterans
having service-connected dis
abilities and carrying special
Veterans Administration in
surance will be paying less
for their insurance coverage.
The VA says the reduc
tion in premiums will apply
to those veterans holding
National Service Life Insur
ance (NSLI) policy numbers
that are prefixed with the
letters “J” or “JR”.
Georgia Veterans Service
Director Pete Wheeler said
the premium reductions will
apply to approximately
5,000 Georgia veterans. In
surance costs will be cut
about $32 annually for vet
erans with “J” policies, and
approximately .$Bl a year
for “JR” policyholders. Ex
act amounts of the new pre
miums will vary with age,
type of coverage and pre-.
mium classification. Accord
ing to the VA, the reduction
in premiums resulted from
premium payments “far ex
ceeding” the amounts
needed to pay off death
claims.
Wheeler said the NSLI
program has been available
to present-day veterans since
1965 because of congres
sional concern over the dif
ficulty disabled veterans
were having in obtaining
commercial insurance.
The special insurance cov
erage is still available to men
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THE JACKSON PROGRESS-ARCUS, JACKSON, GEORGIA
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Jamie Carmichael is waiting for a corneal I
transplant for her right eye. Her concern is in I
making all people aware of how they can donate I
their corneas to the Eye Bank after death and give I
sight to someone who is partically or totally blind, I
due to an injury or a disease of the cornea. See I
accompanying story.
farsighted, it does not matter, for 20-20 vision is not I
necessary,” said Janie Binson, Executive Secretary
Emory Eye Bank, “You can even be a donor if you
have had prior eye surgery. A good cornea is all that
is necessary,” Ms. Binson continued.
The cornea is the clear covering over the eye. It is
called the window to the eye because it is the first
place light hits the eye.
The cornea may become cloudy due to disease or |
injury. If this happens, light cannot get in and
blindness results. A corneal transplant involves
replacing the cloudy cornea with a section of the
clear cornea from the donor eye. The whole eye is
never transplanted. Therefore, there is no
disfugurement resulting from the donation of eyes.
Donor eyes are neither bought nor sold. You can
not specify who will receive your cornea because
corneas are sent to the eye surgeon at the top of the
Eye Bank waiting list. The doctors, respectively,
have a waiting list of patients.
If you do make the decision to be an eye donor, tell
your next-of-kin, family doctor and minister of your
wish to become an eye donor. This is to insure that
someone knows to contact the Eye Bank at the
appropriate time. Also, when you next renew your
Georgia driver’s license, ask to have the words
ORGAN DONOR stamped on your license. This acts
as a signal to a physician in case of an emergency.
The Eye Bank must be notified immediately after
death by relatives, physician or hospital. All
arrangements are then handled by the Eye Bank.
The eyes must be obtained within six hours after
death. The corneas are then transplanted within 24
hours. Because time and supply is so limited, Ms.
Binson explained, “The Eye Bank depends on
services of various Georgia Airlines, Georgia State
Patrol and the Atlanta Police Department. They
give their cooperative support, free of charge.
“For example,” she continued, “if an eye is
received in another part of the country, the crew on
the plane hand carry the eye, the Atlanta Police pick
it up at the airport and carry it to the hospital.”
Because corneas cannot be bought or manufac
tured, the only way sight can be given to others is
through individuals like you who wish to make this
precious gift.
The Eye Bank’s 24 hour phone number in Atlanta
is (404 ) 377-2246. Or write Lions Eye Bank, 1365
Clifton Road, N.E., Atlanta, Georgia 30322.
and women now leaving mili
tary service because of ser
vice-connected disabilities.
Veterans have one year fol
lowing separation to apply
for the coverage.
Want Ads Get Results
The Veterans Administra
tion medical budget is more
than $4 billion.
The Veterans Administra
tion provides education and
training for more than two
million persons annually.
THURSDAY. SEPTEMBER 30, 1976
WIN
WITH GODWIN
To The Citizens of Jackson:
I would like to urge the citizens of Jack
son to take part in the up coming city
election, and,
1. Vote for a man that will represent all the
citizens of the city.
11. Vote for a man that will take a stand
against higher taxes and utilities.
111. Vote for a man that will devote more of his
time, ability and knowledge to the job, as
a City Councilman should.
IV. Vote for a man that will represent new in
dustry, which would mean more jobs for
our citizens.
V. Vote for a man that will listen to the needs
and problems of the citizens of Jackson and
strive to serve the needs of each and every
one.
VI. Vote for a man that will work closely with
all the city employees and city officials,
which would stand for a better city govern
ment.
YOUR SUPPORT AND VOTE WILL BE
GREATLY APPRECIATED
Thank You
J. K. (RED) GODWIN!
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