Chapter  •  Council  •  Commandery

FROM COMMANDERY No. 2

National Healthy Vision Month

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Sir Knights, the month of May is National Healthy Vision Month. In 2003, National Healthy Vision Month was established by the National Eye Institute to spread awareness and educate people about the risks of ignoring the health of their eyes. It encourages them to go for regular eye checkups and not wait for eye problems to arise before they do.

Throughout history, eye health has been a prominent focus in various cultures. For example, in 1550 B.C, Ebers Papyrus
from Egypt has been known to be the first record for the treatment of eye disease. In the 6th Century B.C, an Indian text, “Sushruta Samhita,” considered one of the foundational pillars of
Ayurveda, has found early medical texts describing extensive information about eye treatment. A Surgeon, Georg Joseph Beer, pioneered the Beer’s Operation as a treatment for Cataracts.

In 1931, Vladimir Petrovich Filatov became the first person to successfully perform Cornea transplant. In 1950, Charles Schepens founded the Retina Foundation, also known as Schepens
Eye Research Institute. In 1989, a Greek surgeon, Ioannis Pallikaris, performed the first LASIK Surgery. All this demonstrates how steady eye research has evolved in the field of the treatment
of the human eye.

In 1956, the Grand Encampment of Knights Templar established the Knights Templar Eye Foundation, Inc., to continue our mission to improve vision through research, education, and supporting access to care. The Knights Templar Eye Foundation, Inc., is dedicated to provide research support on eye care for infants, children, and adults.

According to Knights Templar Eye Foundation, Inc., the foundation has contributed $178 million dollars on research, patient care, and education since its inception. Sir Knights, it is my distinct honor to be part of this effort to help change the lives of those in our communities who require eye treatment.

More information about the Grand Encampment of Knights Templar’s efforts for eye treatment support and research can be found at WWW.KTEF.ORG.

Jesse Solis-Jacques

Commander

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