Mercy Medical Center helps New Philadelphia man regain his sight
For more than a year, cataracts affected the vision and quality of life of New Philadelphia resident Steven “Bobby” Stocker, a self-employed musician who could not afford restorative surgery. “I could see shapes, but no details,” Stocker said. “I probably couldn’t recognize my own mother from three feet away.” Frustrated and frightened that he would have to stop giving music lessons, his livelihood, the family of one of Stocker’s drum students suggested Mission Cataract. Stocker researched the nonprofit organization and made an appointment with Ohio Eye Alliance for consultation. Thanks to Mission Cataract USA and its local team that includes Sanjeev Dewan, M.D., Stark County Anesthesia and Mercy Medical Center, Stocker is once again able to see after his cataract procedure May 19.
Part of Mission Cataract since 1996, Dewan, an ophthalmologist with Canton’s Ohio Eye Alliance, partners each May with Mercy Medical Center and Stark County Anesthesia to remove cataracts for qualified patients who have no means to pay for surgery. Donating time, equipment, resources and medication, the team performed cataract surgery at no cost for Stocker and nine other Ohio residents from New Philadelphia, Toledo, Dayton and beyond.
Stocker could tell an immediate improvement after the procedure. “The colors I can see now are amazing – everything is so bright and sharp now. . . this is amazing, so amazing,” said Stocker. “It (Mission Cataract USA) was a real Godsend to me – there is no way I could have gotten this surgery done on my own, I just didn’t have the means.”
He added that the Mission Cataract team provided excellent care. “The staff at Mercy showed empathy and caring, everyone made me feel so comfortable,” said Stocker. “Dr. Dewan is all about helping the patient. It is not every day that someone does things for others like he did – I am so appreciative of what Dr. Dewan and the rest of the team has done for me.”
In order for Mission Cataract to be a success, cooperation must exist between the physician, the hospital, the anesthesiologist and the manufacturer of the lens.
“With Mercy’s long-standing mission of compassionate care for all, regardless of the ability to pay, Mission Cataract has been a perfect fit,” said Dewan. “Doing this work puts things in perspective for me. It’s highly rewarding, professionally and personally.”
Like looking at the world through frosted glass, individuals with cataracts struggle to read, drive (especially at night) and even clearly see the expression on a friend’s face. A clouding of the natural lens of the eye that most often occurs through aging, cataracts are usually not painful but may significantly affect quality of life.
According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health, more than half of all Americans either have a cataract or have had cataract surgery by age 80, making the procedure one of the most common – as well as safest and most effective – operations in America. Nine out of 10 people who undergo surgery for cataracts have improved vision afterward.
In the past, Dewan traveled to India on medical mission trips to help those with cataracts. However, after collaborating with Mission Cataract, he learned there was a real need for care locally, as well.
“It was an eye-opener for me,” Dewan said. “I didn’t realize so many in my own community had cataracts but were without means to pay for surgery. These patients are essentially living with blindness, even though cataracts – the number one cause of blindness in the world – are so treatable.”
Part of Mission Cataract since 1996, Dewan, an ophthalmologist with Canton’s Ohio Eye Alliance, partners each May with Mercy Medical Center and Stark County Anesthesia to remove cataracts for qualified patients who have no means to pay for surgery. Donating time, equipment, resources and medication, the team performed cataract surgery at no cost for Stocker and nine other Ohio residents from New Philadelphia, Toledo, Dayton and beyond.
Stocker could tell an immediate improvement after the procedure. “The colors I can see now are amazing – everything is so bright and sharp now. . . this is amazing, so amazing,” said Stocker. “It (Mission Cataract USA) was a real Godsend to me – there is no way I could have gotten this surgery done on my own, I just didn’t have the means.”
He added that the Mission Cataract team provided excellent care. “The staff at Mercy showed empathy and caring, everyone made me feel so comfortable,” said Stocker. “Dr. Dewan is all about helping the patient. It is not every day that someone does things for others like he did – I am so appreciative of what Dr. Dewan and the rest of the team has done for me.”
In order for Mission Cataract to be a success, cooperation must exist between the physician, the hospital, the anesthesiologist and the manufacturer of the lens.
“With Mercy’s long-standing mission of compassionate care for all, regardless of the ability to pay, Mission Cataract has been a perfect fit,” said Dewan. “Doing this work puts things in perspective for me. It’s highly rewarding, professionally and personally.”
Like looking at the world through frosted glass, individuals with cataracts struggle to read, drive (especially at night) and even clearly see the expression on a friend’s face. A clouding of the natural lens of the eye that most often occurs through aging, cataracts are usually not painful but may significantly affect quality of life.
According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health, more than half of all Americans either have a cataract or have had cataract surgery by age 80, making the procedure one of the most common – as well as safest and most effective – operations in America. Nine out of 10 people who undergo surgery for cataracts have improved vision afterward.
In the past, Dewan traveled to India on medical mission trips to help those with cataracts. However, after collaborating with Mission Cataract, he learned there was a real need for care locally, as well.
“It was an eye-opener for me,” Dewan said. “I didn’t realize so many in my own community had cataracts but were without means to pay for surgery. These patients are essentially living with blindness, even though cataracts – the number one cause of blindness in the world – are so treatable.”
Published: July 4, 2011
