Iowa Lions Eye Bank

01/03/2026

What's on your "vision board" for 2026? 🔮

Ours is all about vision. 👀

Envision a bright future by signing up as an eye, organ and tissue donor today at our website! 💚🩵

01/02/2026

“I will never take for granted a ‘mom, look at this’ or a ‘mom, watch me’ — the gift of sight is so beautiful,” says Amanda Raisch.

In April 2025, Amanda's son, Zander, had a glaucoma tube shunt surgery at University of Iowa Health Care-University Campus. The procedure, performed by Dr. Erin Boese, utilized corneal tissue recovered, evaluated, and distributed by Iowa Lions Eye Bank.

Boese says tube shunt implants require donor tissue to protect it from infection and erosion.

“The tissue allows the implant to be better incorporated,” Boese says “While other donor tissues can be used to cover the implant like sclera or pericardium, cornea donor grafts are preferred as they are both durable and have the best cosmetic results.”

Each year, thanks to the generosity of cornea donors and their families, Iowa Lions Eye Bank provides tissue for hundreds of glaucoma shunt surgery patients like Zander.

12/05/2025

The first successful corneal transplant was performed 120 years ago this Sunday.

It took place on Dec. 7, 1905 in Olomouc, which is today part of the Czech Republic.

Learn more at the link in comments!

12/02/2025

Our friends at OneLegacy Donate Life Rose Parade Float have a special offer...

This , we celebrate a season of gratitude and generosity with a special offer on all Rose Dedication Packages.

Honor a donor, a loved one, a transplant recipient, someone waiting, or the healthcare heroes who make lifesaving moments possible. Your personalized rose will be on the OneLegacy Donate Life Float Rose Dedication Garden—bringing hope to millions and inspiring others to save lives. 💙💚

Find the Special Offer here - https://onelegacyfloat.org/cgi-bin/dedication_garden/family

12/02/2025

You can change someone’s life. By registering as an eye, organ, and tissue donor at our website this Giving Tuesday, you can give the gift of sight to someone facing blindness or severe vision loss. Together, we can ensure that more people experience the world with clear vision, renewed independence, and hope.

12/01/2025

The Digital Wreath of Remembrance, honoring eye, organ, and tissue donors from 2024 from University of Iowa Health Care's three campuses is now live. (See link in comments).

Also don't forget to visit the physical wreath, on display in the Mirrored Atrium (Elevator F, Level 1) on the university campus through January 5.

11/28/2025

Since antiquity, the wreath has been a symbol of eternal life and used in memorials. The Wreath of Remembrance in the Mirrored Atrium at the University of Iowa Health Care university campus (Elevator F, Level 1) honors eye, organ, and tissue donors from that hospital in 2024.

The wreath is decorated with personalized ornaments and is adorned with several herbs with specific symbolism. It will be on display through January 5.

The wreath is sponsored by Iowa Lions Eye Bank with support from Iowa Donor Network and the UI Health Care Holiday Committee.

11/27/2025

We're giving thanks today to all who work to restore and preserve sight. What are you grateful to be seeing this Thanksgiving?

11/26/2025

Eye Donation Month is nearly over, but everyday heroes' work is never done. Neither is the work of some of the supervillains we battle, who endeavor to steal your sight...

11/25/2025

Beulah and Florence Usher were born after the turn of the 20th century in rural Cedar Rapids and traveled on horseback to and from their Stony Point one-room schoolhouse.

Both sisters had Fuchs Dystrophy, a genetic eye disorder, and underwent corneal transplants with tissue recovered, evaluated, processed, and distributed by Iowa Lions Eye Bank.

The Usher sisters never married and lived together until Beulah’s death in 1994 at age 91. Florence passed away in 2003 at age 98. In gratitude for the care they received, they established an endowment that provides support, and promotes research and education in the area of Cornea/External Disease and Refractive Surgery, which helps fund critical work aiming to cure disorders like Fuchs Dystrophy.

We are deeply thankful for those like the Usher sisters who have supported our efforts to restore and preserve sight. Please consider joining them in making a gift today. Details are on our website.

11/24/2025

Sometimes, we are fortunate to connect a donor's loved ones with the recipient of their gift of sight.

That's what happened for George Rickey of Iowa City (right), who earlier this year met Bruce Stewart (left), the recipient of one of George's wife, Sally's, corneas. Bruce is happy to report that his vision is even better than before his corneal transplant!

Thank you, George, for sharing this story and photo with us!