I Do Believe In Angels – Michael’s Artificial Eye Story
I Do Believe In Angels – Michael’s Artificial Eye Story
It was in the summer of 1967 my two brothers and I were in the yard of our grandparents property. That day our beloved grandma took us shopping at the famous Webb’s City in down-town St. Petersburg, Florida. We each came home that fateful day with our very own bow & arrow set. They were fibreglass bows, 45lbs draw, complete with arrows!
Now at the time I was 9 yrs old going on 10. My other brothers were 2yrs apart, one 8 the other 12. We got out in the yard looking for something to shoot. My oldest brother was shooting at a birds nest up in an oak tree. At the time I was sitting on the ground enjoying a lap full of loquats off to one side. I was sitting there looking up watching when all of a sudden I felt something smash forcefully into my face!!! I felt my heart race wildly as I jumped up and ran into the house screaming scott shot me with an arrow. My grandpa was relaxed in his recliner watching the Lawrence Welk show. He just waved me on saying “go on in the bathroom Mikey and get a washrag!” Well about 10 minutes later my dad rushed over in his convertible Starfire, Oldsmobile. He ran every red light to there! Got me to Palms of Pasadena Hospital, where they flew a specialist from texas and removed my eyeball.
Thats how I lost my right eye. I’ve had the same one all these years. The colors faded some but it suits me fine. The doctors told my parents upon looking over the xray of the path of the arrow as it entered my head that apprximately a fraction of an inch the arrow would have hit my brain, killing me or rendering me retarded for life. And yes I do believe in angels. The end.
M.J.Graham
thanks for sharing…I am getting ready to go through the removal and having a eye made. God bless you!
So sorry for you loss. My father was an Ocularist who practiced in Houston, Tx George Constance. He passed away 09/30/2012 and I am trying to get learn more about him through his patients. If you were one of them please let me know..
Thanks!
Kaye Constance Rutledge
I lost and eye in a bad Auto Accident in San Jose in 65. He made a quick eye till I was able to get one made.
It wasn’t till 1985 in Houston 20 years later I met him again and he made a proper fitted eye which I still have to day. I probably should get it replace.
I am very sorry to hear of him passing away. I remember all his Alligators he had in his office. He was an early riser as I was I would get there about 6 0r 7 and we would visit while he was working on my eye. I am running out of space.
I lost my left eye when I was three years old to liquid plumber. we are from Brownsville tx and the friends that knew my family told them to bring me to Houston because the best doctors are there, that is so true because of the damage that was done to my eye they had to remove the eye and put a prostetic eye I think your father George constance may have been my doctor.I know some things about him that only a patient would have known. please contact me I would like to know for sure. and I am sorry that your father has passed away.
Hi Kaye,
I am in Houston today so was thinking about your dad. He was my ocularist for 17 yrs. I am sorry to hear of him passing. I would very much like to talk with you. Like Virginia, I know things that only a patient would know. My email is Michellee61@gmail.com.
Thank you,
Michelle
My son lost his eye from an eye disease in the 5th grade. We were fortunate enough to be referred to George Constance. He made our son’s 1st eye, then when he was in the 9th grade, he dropped it down the sink before school, I called your Dad who was preparing to go to Mexico, but he waited for us that very morning & made our son a new eye. That was such a blessing, & we’ve tried to find him so many times but never could. I remember the collection of alligators he had, too, & we took him one to add to his collection. I think that was the deal he had with our son. We just learned today that your Father had passed away. My son, who is now almost 30, saw an ocularist in Austin that knew him, & told him we had lost such a wonderful, giving man, that did so much to help a little boy feel “normal”.
Hi kaye I was one of your dads patients since I wad 3. He was so nice and fun loving over the years he take pictures to see how much I had grown and I loved to look at his alligator collection. We usef to bring him a different alligator every time we came. I have been searching for him for some time now you can contact me anytime
Your dad made my 1st & only prosthesis in 1976. I was 16 y/o. I’m 60 now. He was so compassionate.I remember that day like it was yesterday. It took 2-3 days to complete.It was government funded.Family was in poverty. I looked for your dad for the few years.I knew get would help. I again need help. Do you know an another angel that would help me get a new prosthesis.I am so tired of the stares. So depressing.I live on disability and would joyfully pay something out of monthly income until paid off. I have not gone out in 2 yrs besides my chemo treatments at LBJ.I don’t have too many years to live. I sure would like these last days happy. A prosthesis is my wish. Would you help me please.
Pls reply @ jonettaleblanc@yahoo.com for Jon Etta Hill.I am looking for an angel to make me a new eye prosthesis who will work with my SSI monthly income.HELP!!
Kaye I’m not sure your dad was the same George Constance that made my eye. He was in Oklahoma City but he would come to Ft Smith Arkansas every so often and see patients there. I saw him at the Moultin eye clinic in Ft smith. Occasionally I would go to OKC. I was 16 at this time. I got ran over by a truck when I was 11. Lost most of the vision in my eye and later lost it completely. I saw George for several years and then he moved to Houston. I think of George quite often and was wondering if he was still living
Your father was an amazing man and I will miss him dearly – I’m sorry for your loss and would have no problem having a conversation with you!!
Kaye, how can I reach you? Mr Constance was my occularist forever. I will never forget him.
Hi! I am Maria Enriquez, I was George Constance’s patient. I was a child when I met him. He was such a great guy. I remember the alligators!! So good to know about you. I am sorry to hear that he passed away.
My daughter was a patient of George Constance as a child.
Kaye,
I was one of your dad’s long time patients. I would love to talk with you.
Hi Kaye, I was thinking about George today and googled him just to see what came up as I did know he has passed away. Please email me at pamelapatton13@gmail.com. I was a patient
Of George for years and a personal friend as well. I can tell you a ton of George Constance stories that spanned decades.
Would love to know you and talk more. He was truly a legendary man!
Pamela Patton
My mom took me to see your dad when I was 13-15 yrs of age. I still remember all the plush toys and unique animal plushes in his office. I had never worn a prosthetic but my mom wanted me to have it before my quinceanera. Your dad was the best and when he did! I am now 44 and still wear it. It has never bothered me. I do not think there’s anyone out there that’s good as he was. He was very professional yet caring to each one of his patients especially kids.
Hi Kate
This is Jorge Luis Rodriguez, I had a very close and great friendship with your dad for many years, he made my Plastic Eye in 1978 in Houston.
Your Dad would come to Mexico very often and stay at my home, while he made Eyes to many persons in need in Puebla. Later he was making Eyes in Guatemala to persons in need. Last time I was with your Dad, I stayed at his Home for a weekend and he made my eye, which I am still using. I am 71 years old and your Father was a great friend to me and he is one of the more Humane person I have met in my life. Me and my family will miss him.
Hope you will contact me, so I can share with you my good memories about your Dad and experiences
My email is
interpackjr@icloud.com
Nice to meet you
Jorge
Your father was an unbelievable artist and a craftsman. He painted/made several beautiful eyes for me. My current eye is old…but still a piece of art to me. Xoxo
Hello, Kaye! I am sorry to hear of your loss. I think I may have been a patient of your father’s back in the 1970’s. I grew up in Houston and lost my eye due to rhetinalblasthoma. He made my first ocular prosthesis and I saw him regularly for fittings and maintenance. Could you share a photo of him of that time, please? I would like to be sure.
Hola Kalle. Soy Humberto de Mérida Yucatán. Lento mucho enterarme que el Sr. George
ha fallecido. Una persona que siempre ayudaba a quien no tenían los recursos o facilidades para adquirir su prótesis. Me contaba que viajaba a algunos lugares de centroamérica para ayudar a pacientes que no podían viajar. Yo viajé desde Yucatán México cuando tenía 12 años y durante muchos años atendió hasta que me case a los 25 años. Hoy tengo 55 años y necesito un cambio de prótesis. No sabes cómo lo extraño. Tu padre era un persona super divertida. Recuerdo que las prótesis las elaboraba y pintaba a mano, y mientras copiaba el color y detalles del ojo bue o decía … Más tequila!! Mas tequila!! Jajaja. Eso quería decir que le hacía falta más rojo al ojo jajajaja… Una persona excepcional. Hoy necesito cambiar mi prótesis y quisiera saber si alguien aprendió su arte y me gustaría contactarlo. Usted podría darme información?
George Constance and I had a good professional relationship in that I too am an ocularist in Houston, Texas. He was a good technician and a considerate individual. The stories that some of his former patients have shared with me picture him as a caring individual who took pride in his work and his sense of concern for each one of his patients. All of them shared his trademark collection of alligators!
George came across as a very private and sometimes distant individual. But he would end up been a very caring technician and person. He will be remembered for a long time.
Antonino Deleza
Do you know of anyone that is as good as he was with prosthetics here in Houston?
Do you know of anyone as good as he was with prosthetics here in Houston?
Great information. Nice use of grammar. Keep up the good work.
I lost my eye to cancer in 1980. Mr. Constance made my artifical eye and it did wonders for my outlook on life. I still wear it today-Dec. 2013
Jerry Hedges
George made an eye for me when I was 6 years old. I saw him many times from 1977 through the early 1990’s. I found him to be very open and friendly. I often spent many hours in his office talking to him while he worked on other patients & me. George had a great sense of humor & could spin quite a story. My mother & father thought very highly of him. I would l would love to talk more with you about him.
Hello Kaye, I was one of George’s patients and friends. I always wondered what happened to him. Contact me evaburge@yahoo.com Sincerely, Eva
Una persona excepcional siempre . Lo vamos a extrañar. Alguien podría darme información sobre otro artesano como el Sr Constance. Me podrán recomendar a alguien ?
Kaye,
How I loved your Dad!
I was a patient for years – visited and had dinner with him when we saw him .
I knew Poni and shopped, etc with her when he was married to her.
My Mother and I were guests in his home several times.
God surely has an angel now – I can remember several times he went to Guatemala and made
eyes for a whole room of kids – do you know what that did for their self esteem!!!
Would love to tell you more!!!!
Tanya
I was a patient of your dad since I was in the first grade he was so cool with his sunglasses and shirts, he was always chewing gum lol, I lost my eye in the beginning of my first grade year and was lucky enough to know him, his work was fantastic on the pupils, my mother would take me to the office and he would always say im gonna put that twinkle back in your eye before he would polish it, he was the best….its very sad to hear that hes passed, I haven’t seen many other prosthesis but im sure the workmanship is not as good, I still have my eye from twenty plus years ago
I met George in 1987 while on assignment at DOW Chemical. He did a great job creating my eye. His first comment was that he was PO’ed with the doctor at Clute for doing such a bad job with my ball and socket.
Then he took me in like a homeless puppy and nurtured me back to health. I traveled all over the country since then, but I always made the time to visit George. His down home hospitality of the Cajun kind was just plan unforgettable. When my wife and I would visit, he would have some type of Cajun Creole meal ready for us to feast upon.
George loved his wife and he talked about her all the time. He told me where to fish for flounder, shrimp, rock crabs, blue crabs. crawfish and other tasty seafood. George remind me of an old wise man that had nothing to say but nice things about every. But most of all about his alligators, because they meant the world to him.
Wheaher you know it or not George the the man that put the “O” in Ocularist George many years before we know what the word meant. George helped millions (and I mean millions) of people throughout this world and we all own him a lot.
LOVE YOU GEORGE…. and Save a bowl of gumbo for me.
Kaye, I am so sorry for your loss. Your dad was the most wonderful person and did an outstanding job making glass eyes. If I remember correctly, he told me he had twin sons, and showed pictures to my husband and I.
In 1978 my 15 month old baby was diagnosed with retnablastoma. He lost his eye. Dr. Constance did a beautiful job. Your dad had a heart of gold. One day he asked if I would donate the first eye to another child in need of one. He was going to Mexico with several glass eyes to put on children and I think adults too. From then on I would always donate my sons glass eye. My son loved his office full of alligators. May he RIP.
Kaye,
I am very sorry for your loss. I have no doubt that he is in heaven bring comfort to those who are with him. I also was a patient of your dad’s. George made both of my prosthesis. My mom would take me to see him in both Puebla, Mexico and in Houston.
This is a perfect title for this thread. George was an angel. His patience, care for the ones who needed it most, selflessness, dedication, and peaceful demeanor is what made him so different from everyone else. I also remember eating oysters with him in both his office and in his house in Lake Jackson. But who can forget about his alligators? Rest in peace George!
Hi Kaye,
My Dear Friend George…. what a guy! he created several artificial eye for me form 1983 until I couldn’t find him any more. George always said I was one of his pickiest patience. Poni was another one of those… Sure your Dad was great at artificial eyes but that was just the beginning of his story. He shared alot with me from his Mom funeral, his brother, etc.. He brought out the the best in patients and provided for those who didn’t have resources, including Thanksgiving turkeys from some who lived close to him.
I lost my eye when a assailant stabbed me and cut my optic nerve. The was the beginning of God’s mercy and continued with George. My PTSD had really ramped up. After about 3 months of appointments (no he didn’t need them, I did!)George one day said to me “self pity was in the dictionary between syphilis and suicided. I yelled at him saying “George I get it!!”
Many, many more tales of my beloved George, please contact me for more legacy tales.
You are both Blessings!
Carolyn
Please excuse my spelling… just have cataract surgery in my remaining eye – can’t see very well….
C
Kaye,
I was born blind in my left eye. I met him when I was 5 years old when he was working for the Soper brothers. He made my first artificial eye and took care of me for a few years. Then one day my mom called for an appointment and they said he no longer worked here and did not know where he was. My mom worked at Diagnostic Clinic in the medical center for 40 years, she started looking for your dad and found him! I was a patient of his from 1973-2003. He was an AWESOME MAN! So kind, saw me from kindergarten till I graduated from college and he actually met my wife and 2 kids through the years. He worked with my mom on payment plans when making me a new eye ( I bet he made 5 for me over a 30 year period), you dad was an awesome man! I now go to Robin Dudash on Montrose, she is not your dad, but a close second, NOBODY was better than your dad, be proud of him! If you ever want to chat, shoot me an email at Jayseed2002@yahoo.com
Hi, my name is Lela and I worked with your dad in 1979 at Soper Brothers in Houston. I was 19 at the time and I was the receptionist and trainer for contact lens wearers. Your dad taught me how to polish the prosthetic eyes and encouraged me to continue my career in ophthalmology, he even paid for my course to get certified as an ophthalmic assistant. Your dad loved to talk and I remember his stories about growing up in Louisiana, he was a Cajun through and through. I now have been in ophthalmology for 43 years and working in retina for 40 of those years. I thank you dad for pointing me in the right direction and giving me the encouragement to follow my dreams. He was truly loved by his patients and staff. I’m so sorry to hear of his passing. The last time I saw your dad was in 1989, we had dinner, talked about the old days and had lots of laughs.
Mr. Constance fitted me with my first prosthetic eye in 1973 while he worked at Soper Bros. I was eight years old and had an accident while playing with my best friend (on his birthday and also my Mother’s birthday). Mr. Constance always mentioned how pleased he was with my eye, as he said the color and spots in my iris was a challenge. When George left Soper Bros I also did not know how to find him. Soon after, Soper Bros suggested I needed a new prosthetic since the original was too small. That replacement never felt as comfortable as the one made by George. When I mentioned my dissatisfaction to my eye surgeon, Dr. Robert Stewart, he informed me George was still practicing and direct me back to him. That is when I reeived my 2nd prosthetic he made. I continue to wear it up to this day. Mr. Constance was a caring, wonderful man. Other than his collection of alligators, my fondest memories was looking at all the photo’s he collected of his patients.
I am sorry for your loss. Its been a long time I know but I didn’t know him as a patient. I knew him as a friend of my mother. He had alligators all over his office and he was a very nice man. He would always buy us food and we’d play for hours in his office. I hope you see this so I can look at his obituary. He was a very kind person. His work was incredible too.