News & Stories

Changing Lives Every Day

News & Stories

Grateful Farmer Thanks Donor's Family for Restored Sight

Gift of Sight
Recipient Scott

The heartfelt letter below is just one example of how corneal transplants greatly improve a recipient’s quality of life. Scott Bowman from Maquoketa, IA received his cornea transplant in June 2018 at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics:

Honoring an Angler

Every Life Has a Story
Donor Robert D. Greiner

Robert D. Greiner

(April 14, 1946 – May 13, 2017)

Lions Legacy Project

General News
Members of the Iowa Lions Foundation

The Iowa Lions Foundation recently voted to award $30,000 of the $65,000 they are raising for the Iowa Lions Legacy Project to support the Iowa Lions Eye Bank research team. This funding allowed ILEB to purchase a much-needed piece of research equipment, the Chemidoc MP Imaging System.

Donor Family Visits ILEB

Every Life Has a Story
Donor family members Geri and Patti

Family Services Coordinator, Deb Schuett, welcomed special guests to the eye bank—Geri Ryan and her daughter, Patti, from the Dubuque area. Geri is the wife of Paul F. Ryan who died in 2002 at Finley Hospital in Dubuque. Paul donated his corneas to the Iowa Lions Eye Bank for transplant to 2 grateful recipients, one from Illinois and the other from Iowa.

Lions’ efforts in 2007 result in new therapy in 2018

General News
Lions International logo

Physician clinicians and researchers in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the University of Iowa continue to make important research breakthroughs in the fight to combat Leber’s Congenital Amaurosis (LCA), a genetically inherited eye disease that causes babies to be born blind or children to go blind before reaching school age.

James Continues to Give After His Death

Every Life Has a Story
Donor James Neisz

James Neisz 

(Sep 23, 1968 - Apr 12, 2018)

James, from Arthur, IA, was happily married to the love of his life, Tanya, and had eight children, who were his pride and joy. James loved fishing and enjoyed anything to do with cars, old and new. Gathering with his family and friends brought great happiness to James, and he is dearly missed by all who knew and loved him.