A “Pony Express” comprised of Lions is riding out of Reedsburg, carrying corneas instead of mail. Lions Club members hit the road any time of the day or night, on a mission to save sight.

The Reedsburg Lions Club have saddled up to join a system patterned on the 1800s Pony Express mail delivery. The statewide system was organized by the Lions Eye Bank of Wisconsin to transport sight-saving corneas to replace damaged or diseased corneas.

“Lions Clubs across the state have been involved in this a number of years,” said Dick Fish, Reedsburg member and one of the board of directors. The Reedsburg Lions joined to Conea Transport Express in 2013 initially sharing the transport for one month with anoter Lions Club.  Our members expressed a desire to become more involved and we now have responsiblity for cornea transports in May and November every year sice 2014.

For those who have chosen to be a donor, recovery of donor-eye tissue takes place within hours of death. With one call, the Cornea Express springs into action. Reedsburg Lion Dick Fish fields calls from the Eye Bank and either responds to the call himself or dispatches a Reedsburg Lion rider – Joe Fish, Clark Pettersen, Terry Geyman, Jerry Griffin, Bob Roloff, Dick Schulenbug, Mike Gargano, Steve Broton, or Mike Anderson – with details for pickup and delivery of corneas.

Reedsburg Lions transport recently donated corneas from Lake Delton to the Eye Bank of Wisconsin in Madison were the corneas are tested and process for transplant.  Reedsburg Lions also transport corneas for transplant from Lake Delton to Tomah. Other Lions Clubs members transport corneas from the Tomah hub to hospitals in Western or Northwest Wisconsion for transplant.

These Lion riders are on call 24 hours a day, just as the old Pony Express riders were. If complete eyes are being transported, timing is urgent to remove the cornea from the eye. Lions might be called in the middle of the night to move them. When the cornea has already been removed, which allows more time for transportation, the riders will usually be called only between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m.

The corneal transport is taking a step further in the Lions mission, creating a permanent solution where previously they helped with temporary solutions.

“It’s kind of an eerie feeling,” Fish said. “Transporting them. It’s not a heart transplant, but it’s close.”

Corneal transplants are common

A corneal transplant is one of the most frequently performed human transplant procedures. Corneal transplants are typically performed within three to five days after donation. In 2012, the Eye Bank of Wisconsin provided 1,054 corneas for transplant, of which 824 were transplanted in Wisconsin and an additional 289 tissues were used for research.

Donated corneas are all delivered to the Eye Bank in Madison where they are tested and processed before being sent to hospitals for transplants. Age, cataracts or poor vision do not prohibit anyone from becoming a donor. Following careful medical evaluation, corneas unsuitable for transplant are used for medical research and teaching.

Prospective donors should indicate their desire on the Wisconsin donor registry and/or their driver’s license. Family members should be told to ensure that the donor’s intention is met. Donation is completely anonymous.