The incredible sight-saving work done at Lion’s Eye Bank would not be possible without the dedication of the Recovery Technicians! This week’s Favorite Friend Friday features Bill Ostrander, a passionate and hard-working Certified Eye Bank Technician (CEBT) at LEBDV.  This month actually marks Bill’s six year work anniversary at LEBDV!

            Before working at the eye bank, Bill graduated from Washington College and majored in Biology. After graduating, he worked at Thomas Jefferson University, primarily in the Cancer Center, for five years; Bill researched prostate cancer, performed lab management, and conducted experiments. Through connections in his field, Bill learned about eye banking and became interested in a position at LEBDV.

            There is no typical workday for Bill as a Recovery Technician, but a normal week consists of receiving referral calls from the Gift of Life Donor Program, reviewing all aspects of the cornea donor, and recovering the corneas. Beyond that, Bill also uses microscopes to evaluate corneas. He is able to tell how healthy the cornea is and verifies that it is the safest and highest quality tissue for transplantation. More recently, Bill has been reviewing donors’ health charts to make sure the donors qualify medically for cornea transplantation.

            Bill believes the most important aspect of his job is knowing that what he does directly affects recipients and their families. One thing Bill is really proud of is the Gratis Tissue Program; the program provides cornea tissue to all people despite their finances. He believes that a person’s ability to pay should never be a barrier for one’s ability to see. One of his favorite memories from working at LEBDV is seeing two current LEBDV employees, Alex and Holly, have personal experiences with corneal transplants and then dedicate their time to further help LEBDV.

When Bill is not on the job, he enjoys spending his free time relaxing down the shore with his wife, Amy, going to breweries, and staying active through exercise and lifting weights.

Thank you for all you do at LEBDV, Bill!