Holland Foundation for Sight Restoration Launches Light After Darkness Fundraising Campaign

The $5M Light After Darkness campaign to empower surgeons, advance care, and drive research innovation

CINCINNATI, Oct. 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Holland Foundation for Sight Restoration, the only foundation in the world created to address a critical unmet medical need of corneal transplantation for patients with blinding Severe Ocular Surface Disease (OSD), today announced the launch of its 5-year, $5M Light After Darkness fundraising campaign. The campaign will support the Holland Foundation’s mission to address the profound unmet need faced by patients with corneal blindness resulting from Severe Ocular Surface Disease.

The Holland Foundation for Sight Restoration is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to transforming the lives of individuals affected by Severe OSD. The Holland Foundation educates surgeons and establishes Centers of Excellence to perform The Cincinnati Protocol™, a procedure created by world-renowned ophthalmologic surgeon Edward J. Holland, M.D., a pioneering ophthalmologist in the treatment of Severe OSD, to restore sight to Severe OSD patients experiencing blindness. The Foundation has established four Centers of Excellence at Cincinnati Eye Institute, University of California Irvine, Virginia Eye Consultants in Norfolk, and Mass Eye and Ear in Boston, each actively delivering advanced care to patients with Severe Ocular Surface Disease. The Centers of Excellence are led by corneal specialists trained in and utilizing Dr. Holland's protocols.

A Media Snippet accompanying this announcement is available by clicking on this link.

“The Light After Darkness campaign represents a critical advancement in our mission to restore sight to patients suffering from Severe OSD. For too long, these patients have faced a devastating combination of limited access to specialized care and delayed diagnoses, which can mean the difference between sight and blindness,” said Dr. Holland. “By expanding our Centers of Excellence nationwide through this $5 million initiative, we are not just opening new facilities, we are creating a network of hope that will bring life-changing treatment to thousands of patients across the country who are currently living in darkness. This isn't just about performing procedures, it is about advancing education, driving research innovation, and building a sustainable network of expertise that will serve patients for generations to come.”

“The Center of Excellence at the University of California Irvine (UCI) Health Gavin Herbert Eye Institute is currently providing life-changing care to patients across various stages of Severe OSD treatment. Each of these individuals represents a life transformed, someone who has found light after darkness,” commented Dr. Marjan Farid, M.D., who leads the Center of Excellence and is the Director of Cornea, Cataract, and Refractive Surgery and Professor of Ophthalmology at the UCI School of Medicine. “The Light After Darkness campaign represents our commitment to expanding this transformative care beyond our existing centers, ensuring that patients nationwide have access to the specialized treatment they need.”

Alongside the Light After Darkness campaign, the Foundation will host its Annual Ocular Surface Stem Cell Transplantation Education Symposium, scheduled for Friday and Saturday, November 14-15, 2025, in Greater Cincinnati. The symposium will equip participants to identify limbal stem cell deficiency and appropriate candidates for ocular surface stem cell transplantation, master key surgical techniques and outcome measures, and gain insights from real-world results and long-term patient follow-up.

To donate or learn more about the Light After Darkness Campaign, please visit our website.

About the Holland Foundation for Sight Restoration

The Holland Foundation for Sight Restoration is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming the lives of individuals affected by Severe Ocular Surface Disease (Severe OSD), including limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD), a rare and devastating condition that can result in chronic pain, profound vision loss, and blindness. The Holland Foundation was co-founded by Robert J. Dempsey and Edward J. Holland, M.D., and is the only foundation of its kind in the world. The foundation was created to address a critical unmet need in corneal transplantation for patients with blinding Severe Ocular Surface Disease. Additionally, it supports standardizing the medical and surgical care for these patients and providing education to implement The Cincinnati Protocol as well as supporting the infrastructure needed to create Centers of Excellence worldwide.

About The Cincinnati Protocol™

The Cincinnati Protocol is a coordinated team effort to restore sight to patients with severe ocular surface disease who are blind from limbal stem cell failure. Collaboration with glaucoma, retina, oculoplastics, and nephrology is critical to guide corneal surgeons in patient transplantation management. Established in 2021, The Cincinnati Protocol is a proven protocol whose results have been validated and published in respected peer-reviewed medical journals. This strong evidence base underscores its effectiveness and impact, giving confidence to clinicians worldwide.

Media Contacts:

David Schull or Liz Phillips
Russo Partners
(347) 956-7697
Elizabeth.phillips@russopartnersllc.com

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3b367763-f49a-4fa7-8376-d24a9b9d8c55
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/98ebfb60-0f47-4d57-86c0-9dbc00b2b4fe

Dr. Holland

Headshot

The Cincinnati Protocol

Logo

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.