As we reflect on our Iowa eye donors during Eye Donation Month 2020 (November), we take time to commemorate Veterans Day and honor the military service of those altruistic eye donors who also served our country.
Andrew C. Niebrugge of Sioux City, Iowa hoped to someday travel the world. He enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1981 at the age of 18, and honorably served our country for two years at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota as an Apprentice Law Enforcement Specialist. Andrew followed in the military footsteps of his father and brother who served in the Navy and Army respectively. Throughout his 55 years of life, he was passionate about several causes including Veteran services and eye, organ and tissue donation. His daughter Emily wrote about her dad in a recent letter to his cornea recipient, sharing that, “My dad was your donor and he was an incredibly generous person. It was never a question that he would be a donor—he was registered on his Iowa driver’s license and it was something we talked about all the time. He always told me he wanted to help as many people as possible after he was gone, and he would be so proud to know he helped someone by giving them the gift of sight.”
Today, Iowa Lions Eye Bank salutes Andrew as a true hero—for his dedicated military service to our country and for his generosity in helping to restore sight to someone in need through cornea donation.