Surprise 4th Winner Chosen for Free LASIK
In an unprecedented move, Victoria Eye Center has announced a surprise 4th winner of free LASIK in their 3rd annual Eyes on Our Heroes contest. Bryan Martin is a 10-year veteran of law enforcement in the Golden Crescent area and a current sheriff’s deputy for the Jackson County Sheriff Office. Deputy Martin was chosen to receive free LASIK because Dr. Boozalis was so moved by the multiple submissions he received from friends, family and co-workers.
“The submissions all had the same theme,” said Dr. Boozalis. “Deputy Martin is a hero who continues to serve his community despite having endured a scary and potentially life-threatening event while on duty. We are proud to be able to provide free LASIK for this dedicated first responder.”
Deputy Martin’s story: In September 2014, he was on a traffic stop with a suspected intoxicated driver. During the encounter, the suspect rushed Deputy Martin and shoved him over the guardrail of the bridge. He fell over 20 feet and landed on his legs and back. He suffered a shattered left femur and a shattered L5 vertebrae. Deputy Martin underwent several surgeries to repair his femur and vertebrae. He recently returned to work, but is still suffering from the lasting effects of his injuries and is scheduled to undergo additional surgeries for complications from the plates in his leg and back. He continues to fight through the pain every day as he serves the residents of Jackson County.
Victoria Eye Center announced the first three winners of free LASIK last week: Eric Salles, Jr., Matthew Leur and Justin Schubert. These stories received the most votes on the Victoria Eye Center Facebook page. Provided they are cleared for the procedure medically, all four LASIK winners will have the procedure done on September 11, 2015.
Each of the four winners will receive a Bilateral Custom Wavefront Optimized LASIK or PRK procedure with all of the post-operative exams and enhancements needed for 1 year, all at no charge. The retail value of these procedures for both eyes is $3,995 per first responder.
Dr. George Boozalis and his team received dozens of stories from current police officers, firefighters and EMTs stating why they deserved free LASIK.