Vision, a gift from God.

In late 2001 I had a lasix operation on my eyes from one Vipin Bakshi a so-called eye specialist in New Delhi who had a certificate on his wall, boldly stating 'Optician to the President of India.' The certificate and his persuasive personality convinced me that what I required to get greater vision, was to have a minor lasix treatment.At that time, I could drive, and with glasses could do normal work But I craved to see more detail that I had just lost. The lasix specialist who did the operation on my eyes made a mistake and fried my eyes leaving them rippled like a corrugated iron sheeting. Normal contact lenses would not adhere to the surface of my eye and I could not get the definition with normal glasses. For years that followed I was living and working in a 'shadow land' where I could only read if I put my face up against the screen or page.

During this time I was living in New Delhi and got to know Ajeet Bhardwaj who I first visited in 2002 in a small downstairs shop in C Block market in Vasant Vihar. Little was I to realize later that he is the owner of a chain of optical shops under the name of Optique. A quietly spoken man, deliberate, kind and professional in all he does, impressed me in the determined way he set about to help me with very blurred and indistinct vision.

Ajeet Bhardwaj (right) the man who was determined to get me normal vision after earlier medical malpractice severely damaged  my cornea. This man's perseverance was instrumental in giving me back full sight.

Ajeet tried normal contact lenses, double contacts, lenses in my glasses that he regularly tweaked in his lab. But I could get no where near the sight I had before the damaging lasix operation. I can recall him saying in about 2003, "Bob, technology is improving all the time and I know some form of contact lenses will be developed that will solve your problem." He knew Scleral lenses were being developed so he spoke to Monica Chaudhry whose core areas of specialty are fitting contact lenses in irregular corneas and low vision aids for visually challenged. A team was formed: A tenacious Ajeet who wanted the best for his patient and highly skilled Monica, and a patient who would walk over broken glass to the South Pole to regain normal vision.

In September last year (2011) I met Monica together with Ajeet for the first examination, and she was quietly confident Scleral Lenses would be the answer. Once measured, an order for the new lenses were sent to the UK. A month later I returned to Delhi and as soon as I put the lenses on, I was amazed to be able to see fine writing of signs in the mall, wrinkles on people faces, and to be able to make out whether people were men or woman. I was out of the shadow lands that where so visually impaired people live. I walked outside the shop in Gurgaon and the joy of being able to see was overwhelming and incredibly emotions. Like a starving man at a sagging banquet table, I took in the feast of fine detail and devoured all before me.

Driving back in the car to my hotel I was seeing things I hadn't seen for ten years, a feeling of being reborn. I could feel my confidence rising and no longer being afraid of tripping over steps or into holes on roads and pavements. Back at the hotel, I was busting to try out my new vision. In the reception a young University student from Colombia was a playing a flute and it was such a joy from 30 metres away, to see her delicate fingers moving lithely on the keys. My eyes were clearly sharper than the camera lens I concluded after looking at the photo I took that night below.

For 9 years Ajeet had been planning such a day when I would get my vision back, and thanks to the help of Monica Chaudhry, it has happened . Below, I would like to present further information on Ajeet and Monica, two people who made such a remarkable transformation in my life. If you are visually impaired, I am sure they can help.

Ajeet Bhardwaj did a Masters in Optometry and alumnae of All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi - the 1979 batch. He forms high performing teams with participative leadership by empowering yet creating interdependency by alignment on purpose. He encourages creativity and innovation. In his early days successfully worked with Indian and Multinational organizations in India and abroad and his Entrepreneur stint and International exposure drives his to establish Optique Eye Ear and Speech in 1987 with a brand “Optique”.  Having its company owned – company operated (COCO) retail stores with Pan India presence, equipped with state-of–the-art Digital Eye and Hearing Testing & Contact Lens Clinic managed by professional optometrists, audiologist and qualified counselors.

Ajeet is a person who provides the vital spark. He is an innovator and a shaper. He is imaginative and original and produces lots of ideas. He is independent, unorthodox, radical and forthright. Due to the above he was able to contribute and be associated with the biggest successes in 90s and 2000:

v  President of Asia Pacific Optometry Council in World Council of Optometry from 1999 to 2007.

v  Was Governing Board Member of World Council of Optometry

v  Was Board of Trustee of World Optometry Foundation.

Ajeet’s upbringing and family values inspire him to be active on Social front also and his education helped in working for under privilege persons of society. Working for Mentally challenged children as Clinical Director of Special Olympics Opening Eyes Program in India and Asia. Was President of Lions Club in Delhi & served as Chairman of Sight First Program of Lions International.

Moving forward his NGO “Opt Education Trust” involves education in Eye care and prevention of Blindness in rural areas of Haryana, a state of Northern India. Ajeet and his brand “Optique” is providing free Eye glasses and free Cataract surgery to the Villagers of Haryana for the last 8 years and thousands of people in rural and backward villages got benefited. Ajeet is having an aim of eradicating preventable blindness from districts of Haryana (India) where literacy rate is lower.

Aoraki Mount Cook our higest mountain in NZ with Lake Pukaki in the foreground. Photo: Bob McKerrow

The real test of the Scleral lenses was going back to New Zealand in December 2011 and January 2012 with my family  To see the fine detail of the mountains, sea, rivers, plains, lakes and people was a such a joy, and to be able to drive safely was in a sense, regaining those lost years in the ' shadow lands.' 

 

With Monica Chaudhry Prof and Head - Department of Optometry at Amity University Haryana

Monica Chaudhry B.Sc(H) Ophth Tech (AIIMS ) , M.Optom , FIACLE, 

With experience of more than two decades as a practicing optometrist and an academician at All India Institute of Medical Sciences Professor  Monica Chaudhry  is currently Head of Department of Optometry – Amity Medical School, Amity University. Besides this she is advisor and senior faculty for corporates like Johnson and Johnson, Transitions India , DTCL Menicon - Rose k lenses and key opinion leader for Abbott Medical optics and Bausch & Lomb India .  She is presently the Joint Secretary of Indian Optometry Association and the North region representative of Association of Schools and colleges of optometry.

Her core areas of specialty are fitting contact lenses in irregular corneas and low vision aids for visually challenged. She has presented several papers and chaired many scientific sessions and has also authored 3 books .She also holds a “ ShreshtShree” award and has been recently awarded the  “Australian Leadership award fellowship”

O, such detail. On top on Mount Iron with my son Mahdi, soaking up the view and feasting on the detail that had eluded me for a decade. Lake Wanaka in the background.