Sherry M. Erpelding is a bilateral cornea recipient who has been watercolor painting since her early high school years. Originally from Waterloo, IA, she and her husband of 52 years currently reside in the small central Iowa community of Baxter. Their home, the third house that her husband Dennis has built for them, is nestled on four beautiful wooded acres strewn with natural trails, a multitude of wildlife and hundreds of mature trees. Sherry recalls how her mother influenced her to be creative and appreciate the beauty of nature. It was that maternal encouragement that led her to her passion for watercolor painting. "The Eastern Goldfinch" watercolor pictured here was created by Sherry a few years ago; a beautiful example of her talent that pays tribute to the artistic tradition created by her mother. Iowa Lions Eye Bank is grateful that Sherry allowed us to use this painting as the cover for our 2019 holiday card.
Having been a patient in the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC) Department of Ophthalmology since the age of 5, Sherry realized the importance of sight very early in life. After years of struggling with her vision, she was diagnosed with Familial Exudative Vitreoretinopathy, a hereditary condition affecting the retina. Later in life, Sherry was diagnosed with Fuch's Corneal Dystrophy, a disease of the endothelial cell layer of the cornea. Her condition progressed and she underwent corneal transplant surgery in both eyes at UIHC in 2018. Sherry speaks of her sincere gratitude to all the individuals who have donated their corneas so others like her can see the world and recreate its beauty through artwork.
In addition to encouraging her loved ones to become registered donors, Sherry also reached out to the loved ones of her cornea donors with this heartfelt message: "Dear Donor Family, My family is very sorry for the loss of your loved one. I want to thank you and your relative for the donated cornea which has restored my original vision. I am sincerely grateful for such a selfless, kind and generous gift...I wish your family well and will forever think of you and your loved one."