About Us

Established by the 79th Texas Legislature in 2005, the Glenda Dawson Donate Life Texas Registry allows individuals to record legal consent for organ, eye and tissue donation after death. A non-profit organization, Donate Life Texas Inc. maintains and operates the donor registry and is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of the CEOs of Texas' three federally-designated organ procurement organizations (OPOs).

Legislation created partnerships with the Texas Department of Public Safety (TxDPS) and the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) that allow individuals to join the donor registry when applying for or renewing their driver's license, ID or vehicle registration.

The Donate Life Texas Donor Registry was named in honor of Rep. Glenda Dawson. Elected in 2002, Dawson served two terms as the Texas House Representative for the 29th District. A kidney transplant recipient, Dawson was a passionate advocate for organ donation.

Donate Life Texas is among the fastest growing donor registries in the country. As a result, thousands of lives have been saved thanks to registered organ, eye and tissue donors.

The community-based eye bank was founded in 1965 to meet the growing need for cornea donations to help restore sight to the blind through cornea transplantation. The eye bank has become a pioneer and leader in providing eye banking services and support to families, patients, surgeons and hospitals in San Antonio and throughout South Texas for more than 50 years.

South Texas Blood & Tissue Center (STBTC), a subsidiary of BioBridge Global, partners with the Donate Life program to raise awareness about the need for tissue donation in order to enhance and save lives in our community and beyond. STBTC has a 45-year history serving the South Texas community. It recovers donated human tissue to help patients suffering from a range of conditions, such as severe burns or traumatic wounds, sports injuries, or in need of reconstructive surgery. STBTC ensures that each donated gift makes the biggest impact possible and honors each donor and their families throughout the year.

The former Blood & Tissue Center of Central Texas was founded in 1951 as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. The Tissue Services division was established in 1986 due to the increasing demand for allograft tissue. The Tissue Center maintained a centrally located allograft inventory for area hospitals and surgery centers serving patient needs. Approximately 4,000 tissue grafts are distributed to area hospitals annually for life-saving surgeries. Our organization also works with generous donor families to make the gifts possible. The mission continues as the organization moves forward as United Tissue Resources. United Tissue Resources' main facility is located in Austin, Texas.

Miracles in Sight, Lone Star Division is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation dedicated to the restoration, preservation, and enhancement of sight through transplant, research, and innovation. A significant part of this mission is stewardship focused on training and educating the medical community and supporting partners and organizations worldwide.

We are dedicated to exceptional customer service and serving the local community in Central & South Texas. Through collaboration and partnership, we work side-by-side with the local donation and transplant community to raise donor awareness and enhance patients' visual outcomes.

In 2020, the Lone Star Lions Eye Bank partnered with Miracles In Sight, becoming Miracles in Sight, Lone Star Division. Together we have strengthened our commitment to serving the local donor and transplant community.

• University Health Transplant Institute
• Texas Transplant Institute
  
• St. David's North Austin Medical Center
  
• Seton Heart Specialty Care & Transplant Center
  
• Renaissance Transplant Institute
• University Children's Health
• Dell Seton Medical Center at UT Austin
  

+120 Hospitals in Central & South Texas