Margaret Estrada and her son, Josh, discussing his eye examination with Dr. Fiaz Zaman

Josh Estrada, who lives in the small central Texas town of Columbus, was playing with friends in the woods near his home. He recalls, "We were chasing each other when my left foot got caught in some dewberry vines. I fell face first and hit my right eye on the edge of an old brick. About two minutes later, all I could see was blood, like little rain drops, inside my eye."

Margaret Estrada, Josh’s mother, explains, "I took him to our family doctor, who said he had a very serious eye injury and needed to see a specialist. It just so happened that Dr. Fiaz Zaman, who works at Houston Eye Associates, was on call at our hospital in Columbus. Right away he told us Josh had ruptured the cornea of his eye and that the next 36 hours would be very critical."

Because of the large blood clot in Josh’s eye, Dr. Zaman was unable to assess the extent of the damage. "Josh was horrified. He cried in his sleep," says Mrs. Estrada. "He was so afraid he was going to go blind. After the blood cleared, Dr. Zaman found a cataract that needed to be removed."

She continues, "We didn’t have any insurance. I work as a clerk in a pharmacy, and my husband is a truck driver. We knew it was going to be expensive because Josh had to have so many treatments, and he had to have surgery. But Dr. Zaman said, ‘The eye comes first.’"

Despite the doctor’s assurances, however, Mrs. Estrada continued to worry. "We saw Dr. Zaman from April until June weekly, and it bothered us because we didn’t have the money. All of a sudden, the Houston Eye Associates Foundation came into the picture and said they were there to help. I just fell apart."

Houston Eye Associates Foundation was established in 1981 by a group of ophthalmologists to provide treatment for people without financial resources or who do not qualify for government assistance. Mrs. Estrada describes, "They helped us out through every step and in every way. They were like angels in disguise."

Dr. Zaman removed Josh’s cataract and implanted a lens. Within four months of his accident, Josh was released with 20/20 vision. Mrs. Estrada says, "It was the scariest thing I’ve ever been through, but it made me realize that there is help out there for people who really need it."

Josh, now an award-winning artist and an avid athlete, remembers Dr. Zaman in his prayers every night. He also says, "I know not to play around dewberry vines ever again."

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