A Life-Changing Diagnoses

A Life-Changing Diagnoses from UNG Member Dr. Vi Tu Banh

In a story worthy of a tissue and a happy cry, UNG member optometrist Dr. Vi Tu Banh and his Vision Therapist, Mamie, have reminded us all of why we should always do what we love, and love what we do. Dr. Banh’s continued commitment to staying on-top of his game led to life-changing results for a young boy named Billy and his family. Read on for Billy’s story, as told by his relieved and grateful mother.

As many of you know, Billy fell when he was three and spent many days at Sick Kids due to his injuries. When he was six, he started to complain about blindness spells. This got progressively worse. He had many invasive and noninvasive procedures to try and figure out what was happening. No one could figure it out, not even the specialists at Sick Kids. In desperation with Billy’s behaviour tanking as he was scared he was going to die, we went back to our optometrist in Uxbridge, Dr. Vi Tu Banh.

Vision Therapist Mamie, Billy and Optometrist Dr. Vi Tu Banh

Dr. Bahn watched Billy and said he knew what this was! He had just finished a weekend course on concussions and their effects on the eyes. He gave Billy a pair of prism glasses and almost overnight the blindness episodes ceased! Billy’s life improved but he was still struggling. He could not write or read sentences. He skipped lines and his letters were misshapen and not together. His behaviour was not at its best as he was frustrated by his inability to communicate adequately. At a check-up, Dr. Bahn suggested vision therapy to help Billy’s eyes learn to work together and to help his brain find new pathways. Billy had a consultation and was tested to get his baseline. Enter Mamie, Dr. Bahn’s Vision Therapist. She is literally a miracle worker. I don’t know how vision therapy works but it works and VERY well. He went from hieroglyphics for letters to real letters that are mostly properly spaced. He went from not being able to read, to reading novels on his own. From Cs and Ds on his last report card at one A and all Bs! The best part though is the confidence he has now —confidence he has lacked for so long. Mamie has made it fun for him and he has no idea he is reworking his brain: he just sees it as games. Billy graduated from vision therapy last night after a year of going once a week. Thank you Dr. Bahn and Mamie. You will never know how much this means to us. You have given Billy the chance to succeed and to do whatever he wants to do in the future without limitation.