My name is Mike Nieman and I have received the Gift of Sight. I received the gift through two cornea transplants. This amazing procedure was possible by the work of the SD Lions Eye Bank and the skill of Dr. Byron Holm, but most of all, it was made possible because of the thoughtfulness and generosity of human organ donors.

I had a heredity condition in my cornea called Fuch's Dystrophy. The cornea has a layer of cells which are intended to act as "pumps" to keep liquid out of the cornea, keeping it a clear window. Those "pumps"in my eye, did not work properly and my cornea was basically "waterlogged". This caused my vision to be cloudy and distorted. I started noticing it as a teenager and it progressively worsened throughout my twenties. In August of 1998 I finally went to see Dr. Holm at Ophthalmology Ltd. in Sioux Falls and by the end of September 1998 I had my first new cornea. I received a second cornea in my other eye in November 1999 and after six months, have nearly 20/20 vision with the help of corrective contact lenses.