Ings to receive Community Champion for Sight Award

The Medical Eye Bank of Florida will honor Commissioner Samuel B. Ings of Orlando’s District 6 with the Community Champion for Sight Award. The award, which recognizes community leaders for their support of cornea donation and transplantation, will be presented during the April City Council meeting.

WHEN:         Monday, April 6, 2015 at 2 p.m.,

WHERE:       City Hall, 400 South Orange Avenue, Orlando, FL 32801 (Council Chambers, 2nd Floor) 

“This award acknowledges Commissioner Ings for being responsive to the interests and needs of the donation and transplantation community by helping to honor cornea donors, supporting donor families, and offering hope to those in need of corneal transplants,” said Rebekka McCollom, Hospital and Community Relations Coordinator with TBI/Medical Eye Bank of Florida.

WHO :          Commissioner Ings and his wife, June, were personally touched by the gift of donation when June’s mother received two cornea transplants.

“She was given such an amazing gift. We are big supporters [of donation] because we have seen in our own lives how others have been blessed with sight,” said Commissioner Ings.

They have each continued to participate and support events and activities in the Central Florida area that bring awareness to eye donation by recognizing donors and donor families for giving the precious gift of sight.

WHY: Over 48,000 Americans receive the gift of sight through cornea donation and transplantation every year. In 2014, TBI provided over 10,000 gifts of cornea donation for transplant worldwide and the Medical Eye Bank of Florida helped restore sight to over 1400 patients in need. First performed in 1905, corneal transplantation has a success rate of over 95 percent in restoring a recipient’s vision, which may be lost due to disease, infection, or injury.