THE E.Y.E.S. HAVE IT

In these uncertain economic times, why would a very successful Ophthalmologist who did his residency at the Mass Eye and Ear Center at Washington Hospital Center and his Fellowship at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary in Boston. . .and who was only beginning to branch off on his own private practice. . .after a very successful career within a larger practice. . . and with one of the most expensive and sophisticated ‘state-of-the-art’ facilities in the country. . .agree to carve out two entire mornings to do FREE exams for two separate groups of African-American school-age kids from lower income families who have never had an eye exam?

Partly it was because he loved the nature of this project – begun in conjunction with a program among the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, Atlanta Partners For Education, and Atlanta Public Schools called “Principal For A Day”, And who could have known, that it just so happened the person who was assigned to this school, was also associated with the “Pay It Forward Foundation” – created by Catherine Ryan Hyde, the author of the book on which the popular movie was based.

The Pay It Forward Foundation provides mini-grants to school-age kids – through their school or an associated non-profit – who come up with an idea which is consistent with the theme of ‘pay it forward’ (i.e. someone does a favor for you. . .instead of paying them back. . .you pay it forward and do favors for others).

But the other reason he did it was just because Eddie Harris, MD, Specialist in Ophthalmology, knew that this was the right thing to do.

E.Y.E.S. – Every Youngster is Entitled to See was the brainchild of the NetWeaving – Pay It Forward Council created at Whitefoord Elementary School by a coalition of students, counselors, and teachers.

It was formed following a previous year’s presentation at the school by Bob Littell, Chief NetWeaver, and creator of the NetWeaving concept who had been assigned Whitefoord as part of the Principal For A Day project.

NetWeaving is a Golden Rule and Pay It Forward form of Networking which focuses on helping someone else just because you genuinely believe that, ‘what goes around. . .does come back around’. The Pay It Forward aspect is that when you help someone and they ask how they can return the favor, you instead ask him or her to just ‘pay it forward’ and help someone else. Bob co-chairs the steering committee and serves on the board of the “Pay It Forward Foundation” in California, created by Catherine Ryan Hyde, the author of the book on which the popular Warner Bros. movie was based.

In conjunction with one of the three possible grant applications to the Pay It Forward Foundation, Whitefoord teachers and counselors had identified a number of their students they believed might be lagging in reading and learning skills due to vision problems. With a commitment from the Pay It Forward Foundation to help fund the purchase of any glasses which would be needed – along with a pledge by these students to ‘pay it forward’ and find other kids to help – Dr. Harris agreed to do the exams pro bono.

But really, Dr. Harris agreed to do this without the slightest thought that his gift of kindness, might somehow come back around to benefit him and his practice, almost immediately.

What Dr. Eddie didn’t know is that Donna Lowry, WXIA’s education reporter and head of that desk (the NBC affliate) had already embraced the NetWeaving and Pay It Forward concept as a result of previously having emceed the Principal For A Day Program. Subsequently, when she learned of the series of ‘NetWeaving’ and ‘Pay It Forward’ exercises Bob had done at Whitefoord Elementary, in addition to the traditional ‘Principal shadowing’ which is done in conjunction with the traditional Principal For A Day program, she came back and filmed these exercises which were later broadcast on her segment in the Morning Show.

Without going into detail, Dr. Harris’s gratuitous eye exams, which will include a subsequent separate set of students, are not only going to generate almost immediate very favorable publicity for him and his clinic, but Bob Littell, whose title is Chief NetWeaver, was so impressed after meeting Eddie, that they have not only forged an immediate friendship but Bob has already lived up to his reputation as ‘chief netweaver’ by making several key connections which almost surely will come back to positively benefit his new friend, Eddie.