Dr. Deroo Receives Vision of Hope Award

The Lions Eye Bank presented Andrew Deroo, MD, with its Vision of Hope Award, acknowledging Albany Medical Center’s continued advocacy for organ, cornea, and tissue donation.

Dr. Deroo, a member of the General Surgery Group, specializes in trauma and critical care surgery.

The honor comes as the Lions Eye Bank marks April as National Donate Life Month. They have selected to honor 10 hospitals from the greater Capital Region “who helped initiate, facilitate, and support cornea donation, giving hope to donor families, and giving vision to the blind.” National Donate Life Month helps raise awareness about donation, encourages Americans to register as organ, cornea, and tissue donors, and honors those that have saved lives through the gift of donations.

Since 2003, Albany Med has had 589 cornea donors, resulting in 943 people receiving the gift of sight. In 2021, 78 people donated their corneas, helping 125 people suffering from corneal blindness.

For information on how to register to be an organ, eye, and tissue donor, please visit the Lions Eye Bank.