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Last military eye maker hopes legacy will continue
EFLDeep within the halls of the Walter Reed Medical Center, behind the ophthalmology clinic, is a shop few know about. A master craftsman called an ocularist works there. Vince Przybyla is the only ocularist in the Department of Defense and one of fewer than 100 in the country who can make prosthetic eyes. He has been at Walter Reed making eyes since he was drafted in 1967 during the Vietnam War. After his military obligation was up, Przybyla decided to stay at the hospital as a civilian. When Soldiers, Marines, Sailors and Airmen lose an eye, they come to Przybyla. Heâs never kept track of how many heâs helped; they are more than just statistics to Przybyla. He wears a blue lab coat that is dusted with plaster and smeared with pink wax and speaks to his patients with a warm and soothing voice. Przybyla studied art in college, but empathy is possibly the most powerful tool Przybyla uses when practicing his craft. His steady hands do the rest. The master craftsman doesnât rely on technology to help create his masterpieces; he uses skills passed on by a master craftsman before him. There is no school these rare specialists attend to learn their trade. The only way to become an ocularist is through apprenticeship. Przybyla has no apprentices though. Heâs a one-man operation, and seldom has an idle minute. Since the global war on terrorism began last spring, Przybylaâs workload has picked up pace. Since Operation Iraqi Freedom started, heâs helped three to five new patients each month from the war. The prosthetic eyes that he makes are almost indistinguishable from the original. His patients almost always leave with a smile. Posted by: Chuck Simmins 2003-12-12 |
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