Physicians at the Hamilton Eye Institute (HEI) at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center donated their services to restore sight to 24 individuals during the seventh-annual Ivan Marais Cataract-A-Thon Saturday, June 8. Their services are estimated to be worth $72,000.
The all-day outreach, organized and led by HEI residents, offers free cataract surgeries to individuals who otherwise could not afford the procedure. Since the first Cataract-A-Thon in 2017, more than 150 individuals have had their sight restored during the event.
“The Cataract-A-Thon is my favorite time of the year and has been the highlight of my training and time in Memphis,” said Brooks D. Walker, MD, a fourth-year resident at HEI, leader of this year’s event, and HEI Lions Club president. “There is nothing more gratifying than working together with a group of enthusiastic people to help others.”
Read more at our UTHSC news site.