DePue native wins ‘Gift of Sight’ Award

DePue native Nancy Biagioni was the recipient of 2025 Gift of Sight Award, the Eye Bank Association of America recently announced.

Biagioni was honored at a June 27 ceremony in San Diego.

The Gift of Sight is presented to a professional who works closely with the eye banking community whose efforts demonstrate significant support of eye banking and corneal donation.

“Beyond an entire career dedicated to sight restoration, Nancy remains a champion for the visually impaired during retirement by volunteering for both Gifted Back and the Braille Institute” said Kevin Corcoran, EBAA President & CEO. “It’s clear that advancing the gift of sight is more than a job for Nancy — it’s her life’s passion.

“She’s helped countless individuals live fuller, better lives because of her devotion to those hindered by ophthalmologic conditions.”

There are an estimated 12 million individuals around the world suffering from corneal blindness that could be corrected with a corneal transplant. There is no artificial cornea — the transplantation process depends on the priceless gift of donation from one human to another. Nearly anyone can be a cornea donor, as blood-type, eye color, vision quality, and age are not relevant to donation.