When you harvest eyes from a dead person, not one, but two people acquire vision.
“This is what makes eye donation unique because your eyes light up other lives after your death,” says C. Velu, an eye bank technician who has been instrumental in helping doctors harvest over 1,300 pairs of eyes.
Velu, who has only one functional kidney, has created awareness about eye donation among more than 500 people.
Born in the village of Vachalur in Vandavasi, Velu is the fifth child in a family and lost his father early. With difficulty, he managed to complete his studies up to class IX. He underwent his first surgery, a pyeloplasty to correct a block between the kidney and ureter, at the age of four. But as things did not get better, he had to undergo another surgical procedure, an urethroplasty.
Seeing his grit and determination to withstand his pain and help others with theirs, the urologist who performed the surgery encouraged him to take up a job as a ward boy in Balaji Hospital. Later, he underwent training in the nephrology department and soon qualified as a dialysis technician. He then moved to BRS Hospital as an operation theatre assistant.
In 1995, he joined Rajan Eye Care Hospital and was trained in the donor corneal retrieval procedure. It was here that he realised the importance of eye donation. He says, “Lack of awareness is a major obstacle in convincing families and obtaining consent for eye donation.”
He points out the that explaining details such as when one can donate eyes, which is within 6-8 hours after death, is important. Also, family members need to be assured that harvesting of eyes will not cause any disfigurement.
About three months ago, he donated the eyes of his brother who met with a sudden death.
In recognition of his dedication and his exemplary service to society, the Rotary Club of Guindy, Rotary International Distrct 3230, presented him a vocational excellence award recently. The honour has only motivated Velu to lead more people from the darkness to light.
“I want to light up at least 1,000 lives before I leave this world,” he says.
