Imagination may not sound like an acceptable ingredient in an honest memoir, but it crops up a lot in this one. I thank my lucky stars for dyslexia even if it made me poor at reading and awful in math. Its other effect—which I explain in the book—was to transform common imagination into creativity. The fortunate upshot was the birth of ORBIS–and thereupon lies the gist of my story.

Imagine a man confined to a hut, living in horrendous poverty with no means to take care of himself nor provide payment for his daily food. Then one day, a quick operation takes place and he regains normal sight. He cries wonder-filled tears. Now imagine the effect on the surgeon able to enlighten the lives of thousands of other people. Then imagine how it might feel if such a doctor’s imagination led to restoration of eyesight to millions of people. That’s fee-free professional ecstasy. Let me tell you the whole “selfish” odyssey that has brought the kind of success that reaches beyond anyone’s wildest dreams.  -The author.

“Brilliant, engaging, energetic, informative and passionate. All describe this can’t-put-down personal memoir of a life well lived. David Paton could have succeeded as a highly regarded writer instead of the famed ophthalmologist that he is. This is an intellectual, articulate roller coaster journey in contemporary history of an unusually gifted and caring person.”
- Larry Schwab

Thanks to ORBIS and numerous other non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the work of ophthalmologists in developing nations has become increasingly collaborative, progressively systematized, and technically improved. But for each nation the solutions are dependent upon the various causes of blindness and upon the numerous variables in geography, culture, education and economy that affect the choices for optimal solutions.

We physicians today realize that we cannot merely apply our skills to foreign populations and expect that our volunteered work can or even should be replicated by local colleagues using our “western” preferences for providing surgical and medical managements. A new field of expertise is growing and, I predict, will eventually become an official sub-specialty of ophthalmology.

Now, in looking forward to the new ORBIS fellowship which will become a major advancement toward academic assistance in the work of the NGOs, this becomes an advantageous time to begin planning and extensive efforts toward popularization of the concept of Global Ophthalmology as a future sub-specialty of American ophthalmology. There are many reasons why that would be an enormous achievement for the medical profession, the roles and strengths of the NGOs, and for patients throughout the world. Global ophthalmology was introduced to readers of the memoir which is the subject of the left side of this dual website. This right side of the home page is a sequel to the left side. It is also an intended hook to persuade donations toward the endowment of that fellowship.