Included in the event will be the dedication of three special paving stones within the memorial honoring:

• A young male University of Iowa student who died in an accident last year and became an eye and tissue donor.
• A living kidney donor--a son-in-law who donated a kidney to his father-in-law.
• The UI Heart Transplant Support Group.

This is the first official recognition ceremony to be held at the memorial since the dedication last October of the Iowa Lions Donor Memorial and Healing Garden. The garden was constructed in honor of more than 20,000 Iowa eye, organ, and tissue donors.

April is National Donate Life Month and this event is dedicated to honor the spirit of those individuals who make transplants possible--organ, eye and tissue donors.

Those interested in becoming a donor should visit the Iowa Donor Registry and share their decision with family members.

April is National Donate Life Month

Iowa Lions Eye Bank, supported by a partnership with the University of Iowa Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, is a non-profit organization, dedicated to the restoration and preservation of sight through the collection, processing and distribution of human ocular tissue to transplantation and research, primarily in Iowa, but also throughout the world. It was the first and remains the only eye bank in Iowa. It celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2005, making it one of the oldest eye banks in the country.

In 2005, 620 generous Iowans donated 1,234 eyes for transplant and/or research and teaching. Of the 669 corneas provided for transplant, 256 were placed for transplant in Iowa, 298 went elsewhere in the United States, and 115 went internationally.

One eye donor has the potential to benefit 10 people through various ocular surgical procedures. "Thanks to the generosity of donors, more than 11,000 Iowans have had their sight restored, and 12,000 eyes have been provided to the University of Iowa researchers to discover causes and cures for blinding eye disease," said Cindy Reed, R.N., Ph.D., executive director of the Eye Bank. "Our goal is to inform and encourage future eye donors who may also choose to give the gift of sight, and whose selflessness will mean a brighter future for many Iowans."

Melanie Ingwersen, a cornea transplant recipient and a student at Wartburg College, said "Since the transplant, I feel that I need to make others more aware of the crucial need for donors. This is for people of any age. Everyone needs to know!"

The cornea is the clear outer surface of the eye and is similar to the crystal of a watch. If the crystal becomes scratched or fuzzy, the face of the watch becomes difficult to see. A replaced crystal allows the face of the watch to be seen clearly, much like sight-restoring transplantation surgery.

Those interested in becoming a donor should visit the Iowa Donor Registry and share their decision with family members. Giving the gift of sight can truly transform a life.

Iowa Lions Donor Memorial and Healing Garden

For more information:

Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences

Iowa Lions Eye Bank

Iowa Donor Registry