Saturday, February 27, 2010

Remembering PDG David Porter

It is with a heavy heart that we report the passing of Past District Governor David C. Porter.

David was extremely active in Lions Clubs, and has served as sponsor, mentor, and friend for many Lions in our area, including several in the Horsham Lions Club. He will most certainly be missed by all who knew him.

David served as District Governor in California before moving to Pennsylvania. He also served 14-R as District Governor in 1987-88.

Memorial contributions can be made to the Pennsylvania Lions Sight Conservation and Eye Research Foundation, c/o PID Robert Miller, PO Box 6, Orwigsburg, PA 17961.

Memorial Services will be held on Saturday morning March 6th, 2010 from 11:00am-12:00pm at the Chapel at Ann’s Choice Retirement Community, 30000 Ann’s Choice Way, Warminster, PA 18974

An obituary will be posted when it becomes available.

Meet Bill Huber, Cornea Transplant Recipient

On the night we visited the Hatboro Lions Club to talk about our upcoming golf outing fundraiser, we were thrilled to listen to Hatboro’s guest speaker for the evening, Bill Huber. Bill has the unique distinction of being a double cornea transplant recipient. He is extremely proud of the work that Lions have done, and is especially enthused about the work done by the Lions Eye Bank of Delaware Valley.

When Bill was in his teens, he needed both of his corneas replaced. He was declared legally blind as he was just entering adulthood. His transplants were both done at the Lions Eye Bank of Delaware Valley.

In 1980, there was a five-year waiting list for corneas. Today, there is no waiting list. In 1980, having a cornea replaced meant a three day recovery in the hospital, at the very least. Today the procedure can be done on an outpatient basis, although the doctor usually likes to see a patient stay overnight just in case of complications.
In 1980, when a donor cornea was available, there was just a tiny six-hour window of opportunity before the cornea was unusable. Today corneas can be kept valid for up to 14 days in the USA, and even longer elsewhere due to more relaxed requirements.
Bill tells us this is because of the advances in medicine that have been done thanks to Lions. A new kind of solution or “syrup” that keeps corneas “fresh” longer has made all the difference.

In addition, the Lions Eye Bank now employs the use of five “harvesting” vehicles, which are on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to go retrieve corneas from donors when one becomes available.

Bill says he often gets discouraged when he sees people abuse their eyes, from excessive rubbing, and applying makeup. He encourages all of us to cherish our eyesight. As one who knows what blindness is like, and how life can be so vastly different when one’s eyesight is restored, Bill’s advice is wise.

He also encourages us to support the Eye Bank, and come tour it some day. The Eye Bank also trains and certifies doctors for cornea transplant surgery. The Lions Eye Bank of Delaware Valley is part of a network of eye banks nationwide, where the premiere doctors work miracles daily.

Bill tells us all to have no fear to go to the eye doctor, have no fear to go for an eye exam. It could make all the difference in the world to you. Did you know that corneas themselves have no blood vessels, meaning that there is no blood matching necessary between donor and recipient? That’s why the success rate of corneal transplants is over 98%.

The Lions Eye Bank of Delaware Valley is located at 401 N Third Street in Philadelphia. They can be reached at 215-561-3081 or http://www.lebdv.org/

 

Friday, February 26, 2010

Guest Speaker Juliet Whelan, February 4th 2010

During our February 4th meeting, we were pleased to host guest speaker Juliet Whelan. Ms. Whelan is part of Jibe Design, a Philadelphia-based contemporary architecture and construction firm. The company is committed to design excellence and environmentally friendly solutions. Their specialty (and Juliet's passion!) is sustainable architecture.
Also known as "green architecture", the discipline focuses on designs that:
  • Have the smallest possible impact on the environment
  • Employ reusable materials
  • Take great steps to reduce energy usage
Examples of sustainable architecture include:
  • Use of windows permitting ambient light instead of excessive interior lighting
  • Use of newer highly insulated glass and structural materials
  • Use of automatic-shutoff, motion-sensing interior lights
  • Designs that take the structure's location, orientation, and landscape into account
We sure learned a lot about architecture that evening. Coupled with a healthy dose of environmental responsibility, we all came away reminded about how we can make the world a better place even in our own living spaces.