Eye on helping others

My dear friends Devin and Laurie Harrison are recognized by the Washington Ophthalmologic Society for their humanitarian work!!!

Each year, the Washington State Academy of Eye Physicians and Surgeons (WAEPS) selects one of its members for the Outstanding Humanitarian Service Award. This year’s award went to Harrison. He was was honored during the WAEPS Annual Meeting on March 30, at the Bell Harbor International Conference Center in Seattle. Harrison spent over two years in Nigeria caring for those in dire need of eye care. Many of his patients overseas can now see, thanks to Harrison’s service and skills as a comprehensive ophthalmologist and cataract surgeon. In addition to removal of many cataracts, he treated numerous serious and unusual maladies of the eye and periocular tissues, many of which are never seen in the U.S. “There is one ophthalmologist per every million people over there,” he said. “There’s such a backlog of people who need help there.”
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“I would love to go back to Africa,” he said, adding that there is a continual need for equipment and training augmentation. And the people he has trained simply need an occasional break.

Harrison’s wife Laurie accompanied him to Nigeria and supported his many humanitarian efforts. With them were their two young children Luke and Kiras. All four were victims of armed robbery and had to be evacuated during riots and fighting between Christians and Muslims.

“The work experience was great,” Harrison said. “Living there was sometimes a challenge.”

The award is based on criteria established by the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the national parent organization of WAEPS and the other state ophthalmology societies throughout the United States. The criteria include exceptional service to disadvantaged people in the United States or abroad, sometimes in settings of high risk to the ophthalmologist, as well as personal sacrifice.

In nominating Harrison for the award, several ophthalmologists spoke of his 24/7 humanitarianism, not just for a month or two years of service but for an ongoing ever-present calling to selflessly serve those in need. He has touched the lives of many, both here and abroad.

“That’s one of the reasons I chose ophthalmology,” he said. “I had dreamed of traveling there for years. There’s such a huge need there.”

Harrison has also been nominated by WAEPS to receive the AAO’s 2007 Outstanding Humanitarian Service Award, which will be presented during the AAO Meeting in New Orleans on November 11.