Lions World Vision Institute, 1410 N. 21st Street, Tampa, FL (2026)

04/08/2026

👏PAAO 2026 Recap👏

Lions World Vision Institute was pleased to take part in the 28th Pan-American Regional Course of Ophthalmology alongside the 30th Chilean Congress of Ophthalmology in Santiago, Chile (March 25–27, 2026).

The meeting offered a great opportunity to connect with ophthalmic leaders from across Latin America and showcase our latest progress in corneal transplantation technologies. 👁️👁️👁️

At the congress, we presented a portfolio of solutions aimed at enhancing surgical precision and patient outcomes, including:
• TransplantREADY® DSAEK
• TransplantREADY® DMEK and Endo-In DMEK
• OptiGraft® CAIRS (Corneal Allogenic Intrastromal Ring Segments), a biologic option for the treatment of keratoconus and other corneal ectasias.

We appreciated the opportunity to engage with an outstanding group of surgeons and collaborators, including Dr. Luis Izquierdo Villavicencio, Dr. Manuel Alejandro Garza Leon, Dr. Osvaldo Berger, Dr. Winston Chamberlain, Dr. Rodrigo Donoso, Michelle Vinet Mendez, Dr. Pablo Morales López, Cristian Cumsille, and Cathiana Garcia.

The level of interest and discussion throughout the event reflects the increasing focus on advanced, surgeon-ready corneal solutions throughout the region.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by to connect with us. We look forward to continuing these conversations and supporting the advancement of corneal care worldwide. 👏👏👏

🌐For information about LWVI's upcoming international trainings and events, please visit: https://lwvi.org/events-training

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04/06/2026

🌸 THANK YOU Vision in Bloom Sponsors! 🌸

‼️UPDATE: Vision in Bloom is ALMOST sold out! Don't wait to secure your tickets today at lwvi.org/event/vision-in-bloom 🎟️🎟️🎟️

Lions World Vision Institute is so thankful to all sponsors behind our upcoming Vision in Bloom tea party fundraiser this Friday, April 10!

💐 Tampa Bay Total Wellness LLC
💐 BG Mobile Bar and Events
💐 Drybar
💐 Construction Services Inc of Tampa
💐 Cigna Healthcare
💐 Strategic Marketing Arts, Inc.
💐 QDOBA
💐 Betty Viamontes
💐 Friends of LWVI
💐 The Car Park

Join us for an elegant afternoon of tea, connection, and community in support of LWVI Foundation’s sight-restoring programs.

And don't miss a chance to see Tampa Bay Buccaneers Chief People Officer, Kristin Hamwey, along with Casey Phillips, Team Reporter, for an engaging fireside chat during the program!

Together, we’re bringing this beautiful event to life while supporting our mission! 🌸👒🥂

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The 3rd annual "Vision in Bloom" tea party fundraiser is hosted by Lions World Vision Institute and Working Women Of Tampa Bay, set amidst the historic cigar factory in Ybor City at LWVI's headquarters.

04/04/2026

👁️ Cornea surgeons—this is one you don’t want to miss at 2026 in Washington, D.C. 👁️

Join Lions World Vision Institute and experience firsthand how we’re redefining the future of corneal surgery.

⭐April 10–13 | Exhibit # 2133⭐

Don’t miss your chance to SECURE a spot in our Hands-on Wet Labs and explore:

🔹TransplantREADY® Preloaded Tissue Services Endo-In DMEK and DSAEK

🔹OptiGraft® CAIRS — our newest sterile ophthalmic allograft for complex lamellar procedures and keratoconus management. Powered by advanced femtosecond laser technology, OptiGraft® CAIRS delivers precisely sculpted, consistently uniform grafts—designed for accuracy, reproducibility, and confidence in every case. LWVI is the only eye bank offering sterile laser-cut asymmetrical CAIRS that can be stored at room temperature for up to two years‼️Our elite processing center removes the epithelial and endothelial cells and devitalize intrastromal cells through our processing and terminal irradiation.

👉👉👉 Space is limited—Register today! https://lwvi.org/ascrs-wet-lab-registration

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04/04/2026

🌸 Vision in Bloom Fireside Chat Announcement! 🌸

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Chief People Officer, Kristin Hamwey, will be joined by Casey Phillips, Team Reporter, for an engaging fireside chat during Lions World Vision Institute's Vision in Bloom fundraiser on April 10! 🔥🔥🔥

Kristin Hamwey brings a powerful leadership perspective, shaping organizational culture and championing people-first initiatives at one of the NFL’s leading franchises. Paired with Casey Phillips’ dynamic storytelling and on-camera presence, this conversation will offer an authentic look at leadership, impact, and the influence of using your platform to drive meaningful change.

💐 This intimate, candid conversation is one you won’t want to miss. 🏈

🎟️We only have a few remaining tickets … secure your seat today: lwvi.org/event/vision-in-bloom

Join us on April 10, 2026, at Lions World Vision Institute for an unforgettable morning of connection, purpose, and impact. We can’t wait to welcome you next week!

Thank you to our event partners, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers & Working Women of Tampa Bay, for supporting our programming. 👏👏👏

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04/02/2026

📣Educational Healthcare Partner Shoutout!📣

The team at Lions World Vision Institute works closely with Universities, colleges, and healthcare organizations throughout the U.S. and today, we'd like to say thank you to our valued educational partners at VCOM-Louisiana - Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine and University of Louisiana Monroe.👏👏👏

Last week, LWVI's Scientific Director, Dr. Foster joined ULM VCOM DO students to dive into eye tissue research and showcase how Lions World Vision Institute is restoring sight across the U.S. and beyond.

Inspiring the next generation of medical leaders, one conversation at a time!

We are grateful for LWVI's partnership with ULM, VCOM, and their dedicated teams who make donation possible every day.

🌐To learn more, please visit: https://lwvi.org/

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04/01/2026

💙💚April is Donate Life Month💙💚

Donate Life Month is a national movement each April dedicated to providing education about organ, eye, and tissue donation, while encouraging donor registration to save and heal lives.

This year’s Donate Life Month theme is Leave a Legacy. It reminds us that just like trees, our donation community grows stronger together connecting donors, recipients, and families in ways that last for generations. 🌳🌲🌴

More than 100,000 people are waiting for a lifesaving transplant. Transplants rely on the generosity of organ, eye and tissue donors, and there are not enough donors to meet the need.

You can help. Let’s make a difference, together!

🌐To learn more about how Lions World Vision Institute is spreading hope and inspiring change during Donate Life Month, please visit: https://lwvi.org/donate-life/

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04/01/2026

👏 Congratulations Ocular Recovery Team! 👏

Last week, Lions World Vision Institute conducted our annual Technical Trainer Sign-Off Clinical, alongside our Medical Director, Dr. Lambright, who conducted the official evaluations.

What made this clinical especially meaningful was the chance to walk our LWVI team through the full picture behind the people and the process.

Many of our trainers traveled to LWVI headquarters in Ybor City for this clinical. For some, it was their first time seeing how the tissue they recover moves beyond the donor.

They were able to see how the tissue is processed, prepared, and ultimately placed into the hands of surgeons to restore sight.

That connection matters.

Because in this field, we see a side of healthcare most people never will. We see loss. We see the hard moments. The unfiltered reality of donation.

At LWVI, we are incredibly grateful for each member of our team and the role they play to elevate standards in sight restoration, tissue transplantation, research, and education.

🌐To learn more about LWVI, please visit: https://lwvi.org/

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03/31/2026

👉Seats Filling Fast for 2026!👈

Join Lions World Vision Institute in D.C. at the annual meeting of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) and explore how our latest advances are shaping the future of corneal surgery.

Register TODAY for hands-on wet labs at Exhibit # 2133 April 10-12‼️

🌐https://lwvi.org/ascrs-wet-lab-registration

We’ll be showcasing our portfolio of TransplantREADY® Preloaded Tissue Services and OptiGraft® CAIRS, our newest sterile ophthalmic allograft designed for complex lamellar procedures and keratoconus management.

OptiGraft® CAIRS is created using cutting-edge femtosecond laser technology that precisely sculpts e-beam–irradiated grafts across a diverse array of sizes. The result is a consistently uniform graft—engineered for accuracy, reproducibility, and confidence in every case.

👉👉👉Register now! https://lwvi.org/ascrs-wet-lab-registration

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03/31/2026

🌸 LWVI Women of Vision Founding Member Spotlight 🌸

Lions World Vision Institute's giving circle Women of Vision is dedicated to advancing pediatric eye care and expanding access through the Vision Health Center.

We’re honored to recognize Brooke Palmer Kuhl as a Founding Member behind this powerful initiative! 👏👏👏

When asked about her connection to this extraordinary movement, Brooke said, "I was drawn to Women of Vision because connection matters to me, the kind that’s built around meaningful work and shared values. Being part of a community of women dedicated to supporting Lions World Vision Institute felt like exactly the right place to grow, give back, and belong."

Brooke's generosity and support will fuel our Vision Health Programs for generations to come, ensuring children and families receive critical screenings, eye exams, and life-changing vision care.

Thank you to Brooke for your leadership and for being an integral part of our mission! ❤️

🌐For more information on how you can support LWVI's mission, please visit https://lwvi.org/support-our-mission

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03/30/2026

🥼National Doctors' Day and Physicians Week 🥼

This National Physicians Week and Doctors' Day, the Lions World Vision Institute team is proud to celebrate the global partnerships that make life-changing vision possible.

From skilled ophthalmologists performing sight-restoring corneal transplants to dedicated optometrists providing essential routine care and identifying early corneal conditions—your work is nothing short of transformative. Together, you are restoring vision, advancing eye health, and changing lives every single day.

Thank you for your commitment, your expertise, and your impact.

So the World Can See…

🌐For more about LWVI's mission to elevate standards in sight restoration, tissue transplantation, research, and education, please visit: https://lwvi.org/

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03/29/2026

👏SASCRS 2026 Recap👏

The Lions World Vision Institute (LWVI) team was thrilled to meet so many talented surgeons who participated in our hands-on wet labs at the Southern African Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (SASCRS) 2026 in Johannesburg!

At SASCRS 2026, LWVI showcased innovations shaping the future of corneal surgery, including our TransplantREADY® Preloaded Tissue Services and OptiGraft® CAIRS—our newest sterile ophthalmic allograft designed for complex lamellar procedures and keratoconus management. Created with advanced femtosecond laser technology, OptiGraft® CAIRS delivers precise, uniform grafts to support accuracy and reproducibility in every case.

We were especially honored to have an outstanding global faculty leading presentations and sharing their expertise during hands-on wet labs, we would like to thank our Lead Instructors, Dr. David Gunn, Dr. Sean Edelstein, Dr. Leonard Heydenrych, and our Co-instructors, Dr. Roberto Pineda, Dr Johann Krüger, Dr. Lynette Venter, Dr. Nicholas Davey, Dr. Wilna Rautenbach, and Dr. Theunis Botha.

We extend our sincere appreciation for their time, dedication, and commitment to advancing surgical education - training over 60 surgeons at this conference - their contributions made these sessions truly exceptional.

A special thanks to the amazing organizers of this event for inviting us and supporting the attendance; Dr. Cor van Zyl, and Dr. Edward Anderson.

Thank you to everyone who joined us and contributed to such an engaging and impactful experience. 👏👏👏

To learn more about our portfolio of TransplantREADY® services and OptiGraft® CAIRS, click the links below or reach out to our team at contact@lwvi.org.
🌐https://lwvi.org/preloaded-tissue-services/
🌐https://lwvi.org/sterile-tissue-services/cairs-corneal-allogenic-ring-segments/

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03/27/2026

🌟Vision Health Program - Monthly Recap!🌟

The Lions World Vision Institute team hosted 13 clinics this month at schools throughout Pasco County and Hillsborough County to offer students free vision screening and eyeglasses through our Vision Health Program!

This month, a total of 219 students received vision screenings and 169 students received FREE eyeglasses through this program. 🙌🙌🙌

🚌🚌🚌
Vision Health Program - March Roundup:
Gulf Middle School
Buchanan Middle School
St Peter Claver Catholic School Tampa, Florida
Gulf High School
Richey Elementary School
Turkey Creek Middle School
& more!

Our program offers a range of services including free vision screenings, eye examinations, and glasses for children and adolescents 5-17 years of age.

🌐For more information on LWVI's Vision Health Program, please visit https://lwvi.org/vision-health

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LWVI's Vision Health Program is among Florida’s most comprehensive and currently serves Hillsborough County Public Schools, Pasco County Schools, and Pinellas County Schools. We ensure early detection of vision issues in children, providing everything from initial screening, to glasses dispensation, and referrals for further care.

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