Israel President Shimon Peres's corneas donated
When former Israeli President Shimon Peres is buried, a part of him will be left behind: his corneas.
Peres' personal physician and son-in-law Dr. Rafi Walden said Thursday that Peres signed an organ donor card.
Peres died early Wednesday of complications following a stroke. He was 93.
"At his age, other organs are not relevant for donation," Walden says.
Dvora Szerer, a spokeswoman for the National Transplant Center that manages organ donation in Israel, says older corneas are primarily used as temporary solutions in emergencies, or used in operations to treat glaucoma. In a statement, she wrote that Peres advocated organ donation when he served as Israel's president.
