Twin Cities Eye Doctor Offers 'Sight For Soldiers'
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A Twin Cities eye doctor has found a unique way to say 'thank you' to members of the military.
Dr. Neal Sher is internationally recognized as an expert in laser vision correction. The eye surgeon has provided sight for soldiers at no cost for more than a decade.
Senior Master Sgt. Brian Hyde has deployed numerous times with the Marines, U.S. Airforce and now with the Air National Guard.
"It's a different way of life," Hyde said.
The conditions overseas can be extreme, even under the best circumstances.
"It's hot, it's dry, it's bright, extremely bright, terrible on the eyes as far as I was always concerned. Sometimes the travel is dirty, dusty, grimy," Hyde said.
Hyde's job is to see the risk in combat zones and inform troops, but one analyst calls his vision atrocious. He can't see without glasses. Even so, they make his job more challenging.
"It's frustrating, annoying, they get terribly dirty, always trying to clean them and then they get scratched. Frequently, sweat pools on them," Hyde said.
Soldiers often travel with a second pair. Still, they can be blown off, and peripheral vision is limited.
"Throughout the entire military period, it's critical. If you're not fortunate enough to be able to see without these tools, you are certainly compromised," Hyde said.
"Restoring someone's sight is just wonderful, it changes their life," Sher said.
Sher performed laser vision correction surgery on Hyde. Unlike Lasik, there's no flap cut in the eye. He uses a laser to resurface the cornea.
"The laser tracks the center of the pupil sort of like a cruise missile tracks a target," Sher explains.
It takes about 10 to 15 minutes to restore a patient's vision. And it's what Sher does for servicemen and women going into combat, free of charge.
"These are people being ripped away from their families to go to dangerous horrible places such as Afghanistan and Iraq, multiple times, with very little fanfare," Sher said.
Sight for Soldiers began in 2004 with a single dad who couldn't afford the surgery.
"He said he was being deployed to Afghanistan and he needed to do everything possible to get back to his children," Sher said.
That one patient turned into two, and then into entire units. Sher focuses on the National Guard and Reserves.
"The National Guard gets second shrift in terms of resources. Regular military, certain job classifications, pilots and Special Forces, get this done for free," Sher said.
So far he has given the gift of sight to more than 500 soldiers. One look at the walls of his office, and you'll see the difference this one doctor has made with military coins and a commendation from General David Petraeus.
And then there are the notes. One says, "It doesn't always take putting on a uniform and going into a combat zone to be an American hero."
Sher did serve his country. During the Vietnam War, he was a commissioned officer with the Public Health Service in Bethesda. His dad served in World War II. And it's pride of country and gratitude to those who serve that led Sher to give back.
"It's an honor to take care of these folks and it's also the most rewarding thing that I do," Sher said.
Colleagues of Hyde with the 133rd Airlift Wing are also recipients, and have deployed since the surgery.
"It made night and day difference because the next time I deployed I was in Southeast Asia. It would have been very, very difficult to have been in that deployed situation with contact or glasses," Capt. Michele McVenes said.
"To be able to see to do my job is pretty critical. For them to be able to support our troops in that fashion allowed me to do my job better, more efficiently," Lt. Col. Tom Gillen said.
After surgery Hyde's vision is better than 20/20. He says this gift will help him see his way back home on his next deployment.
"It raises a lot off my heart that I won't have to worry about that anymore. It is like winning the lottery, I can't imagine any other gift than this," Hyde said.
Soon after the program started, Sher received a letter from the parent of a soldier whose vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb. It read, "I was so thankful he did not have to deal with a potential loss of glasses or contacts, which could have been fatal."
Sher agreed to do an interview in hopes it will inspire others to do what they can for members of the military.
While Sher donates his time, The Phillips Eye Institute, where the surgery is done, does charge a fee for use of the facility. There is a fund to offset that fee and the cost of travel for military members. Click here to donate or to find out more about the program.
