LE MARS, Iowa (Iowa Media Wire) — On Wednesday, a late Plymouth County man was honored for saving dozens of lives through organ donations.
The Iowa Donor Network unveiled a tribute plaque in honor of John Sitzman at the Plymouth County Courthouse. Sitzman passed away in 2019, but his tissue donations saved 80 lives.
John’s family continues to honor his legacy and appreciates what his donations mean to others.
“Just being able to know that he would be able to touch lives after he had passed away just truly meant everything to us,” John’s son Tristan said. “Knowing that he would be able to live along through others and just knowing he was a savior to everybody he touched just truly meant a lot to us.”
The partnership between the Iowa Donor Network and the Iowa Department of Transportation began in 2020. So far, 23 plaques have been placed across the state.
“Our hope is that these plaques inspire more Iowans to say yes to becoming an organ, eye and tissue donor,” Iowa Donor Network Director Heather Butterfield said. “Registering to be an organ, eye and tissue donor is so easy. You can either do it at the DMV [or online].”
In Iowa alone, more than 600 people are waiting for an organ transplant. You can register to be an organ donor at the DMV or by clicking here.