THE CORNEAL DYSTROPHY FOUNDATION

 Our mission is to increase the public's awareness of corneal dystrophy, a potentially blinding disease affecting the transparent front part of the eye.

 The Corneal Dystrophy Foundation, a 501 (c)(3) corporation, is a direct outgrowth of Fuchs’ Friends, an Internet support group begun in 1998 by our founders for people with Fuchs’ Corneal Dystrophy.

 Fuchs’ Friends has a membership of over 1700 people worldwide and a discussion board where 80,000 messages provide sharing of experiences, information and emotional support.  To maintain high standards of interaction, Fuchs’ Friends observes a code of conduct, expecting members to respect each other’s privacy, to treat one another with dignity, and to keep the topics Fuchs’-related. 

 Volunteer Moderators at Fuchs’ Friends update the websites the group maintains.  There are hundreds of pages of private members’ only information including:

• Research on and access to important information about corneal dystrophy and related vision issues covered in web sites, print media articles, and research papers. 
• Tips for coping with the visual impairments of corneal dystrophy.
• A list of doctors recommended by member/patients.
• Tips for use of special accessibility features in computer operating systems.
• Sources for special sunglasses and helpful visual equipment.
• Pictures and speakers’ content from our events.

 Each year we have an annual symposium and get-together in a US city, hearing speakers such as corneal specialists and researchers.

 We plan to continue and expand our formal conferences, online information, and publications about Corneal Dystrophy.  We stand ready to offer our services to eye care professionals in matters of information, training, advances in treatment, and research of corneal dystrophy.