For your eyes only!

Two enormous bulletin boards take up much of the wall space in the tiny office and laboratory. Photos of children, some just a few months old, cover each panel. Many of these children were born with sightless eyes; others lost their vision to disease or injury.

But you wouldn’t know it by looking at their smiling faces. Thanks to Greg Dootz, an ocularist at the University of Michigan’s Kellogg Eye Center, more than 3,000 patients have received prosthetic eyes that are every bit as beautiful and complex as the real thing. Each custom eye crafted by Dootz is a hand-painted, nearly exact polymer replica of the patient’s original organ.

His work is startlingly realistic, not only in the color and intricacy of the iris but also the appearance of the white. He even uses red thread to suggest tiny blood vessels. A self-described perfectionist with artistic talent and an engineering background, the 60-year-old Dootz is well suited to his unique field.

He also knows the difference that a quality prosthesis can make for the recipient. “We like to think people aren’t judged by their appearance, but they are,” says Dootz, who has been honored nationally for his work. “For those who have lost an eye, my job is to level the playing field.”