My eyes are pledged

This birthday, I gifted myself something very special. A donor card from Sankara Eye Bank bearing a pledge to donate my eyes after my timely or untimely demise. It reads

"I am an Eye Donor. My eyes are pledged to the Nation. Kindly inform Sankara Eye Bank immediately on my demise and help them fulfill my desire. Thanks"

I have been receiving many queries from friends 'How did you do this?', 'Where did you do this?' etc etc. To be honest, this ignorance level among the otherwise erudite, nouvea riche friends of mine is quite shocking. To me, its simple. If you really wanna do something you WILL find the answers to all questions. Anyways, what I can do is document a list of FAQs based on my incumbent knowledge about eye donation in India. Hope this is helpful.

Q. Why should I donate my eyes?

A. Blindness is the single most debilitating handicap that one can be cursed with. However not all blindness is incurable. In blindness of the cornea, which is nothing but a lens in the eye, the cornea becomes clouded and eventually opaque. To understand this, think of your glasses getting murkier and then one fine day completely opaque. There is nothing wrong with your eye only the 'lens' which permit light in have become solid. There are thousands of people in India who suffer from blindness of the cornea. Your donated cornea can be easily replaced with a simple, cheap surgery. Many times these surgeries are done for free!

Q. Can I donate my eyes while I am still alive?

A. No

Q. I am a devout and orthodox Hindu Brahmin. My religion does not permit the mutilation of the body after death. Would my eyes be removed completely?

A. When you donate your eyes, you actually donate only the cornea. The medical team will remove the eyeballs but will replace lookalike marbles. So you will still look dignified as a corpse. Technically speaking eye donation is not for you. But dear sir, wouldnt your God grant you heaven for mutilating your body for such a cause?

Q. After death how early should the eyes be removed from my dead body?

A. Very important question. The eyes MUST be removed within 6 hours of death. Beyond this time, the delicate tissues of the eye begin to decay.

Q. How are the eyes removed and by whom?

A. Upon death, an immediate family member or friend must call up the eye bank to inform of the death. The team will swiftly make arrangements and reach the house/hospital where the dead body is kept. The medical team will check the eye donation testament and ONLY after explicit permission from the nearest family member will proceed to remove the eyes. They would carry out some quick tests to check whether the eyes are in good condition. It would take not more than 15 mins. Generally, they are sensitive of the situation and conduct themselves appropriately so as to not cause any further grievance or delay in the cremation proceedings.

Q. Will I get to know whom my eyes will be donated to?

A. According to Indian government law, eye banks must maintain complete anonymity. Donors and recipient's identities are never disclosed. So if you wish to donate your eyes after your death to your blind cousin, unfortunately it would not work (unless maybe through a will?, I dont know)

Q. Will my family get paid for my eyes donation?

A. No. this is entirely an act of generous humanity.

Q. I am a registered eye donor with Sankara Eye Bank in Bangalore. If I die in Darbhanga, can I still donate my eyes?

A. Yes, you can donate eyes anywhere in India. However, if you die abroad, it may not be possible (depends on the country's laws). Best alternative would be to take a eye donor card from that country.

Q. I am HIV +ve. Can I also donate my eyes?

A. Unfortunately, you cannot :-( People with unexplained cancer, AIDS and some specific eye diseases should not donate.

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Although my eyes are pledged, I doubt whether they would actually be donated. The window of opportunity is too narrow at 6 hours from the time of death. What is the chance that my immediate family member would call an eye bank, give them directions and assist them all within 6 hours of my end? Very slim. Sadly. But while I live, let me put up for public display one of the better sculpted parts of my anatomy. My eyes :-)