Fort Myers doctor gives Haitian man the gift of sight

By Rachel Revehl • rrevehl@news-press.com • December 28, 2010 

1:52 P.M. — A 29-year-old Haitian man received the gift of sight today from a Fort Myers surgeon who donated his time and services.

Ezechias Toussaint, of the coastal city of Saint Marc about an hour north of the Haitian capitol of Port-au-Prince, suffers from a facial palsy that makes it impossible for him to shut his right eye.
Dr. Rachid Aouchiche learned about the case from a colleague, who was acquainted with Toussaint’s brother, Rev. Joseph Gabriel of Fort Myers.

The colleague, Dr. Mark Liebetreu, wrote to the Haitian consulate to allow Toussaint entry to the country, while Radiology Regional conducted an MRI at no charge and Aouchiche preformed the surgery for free.
The ability to see in Haiti can be priceless, as handicaps and illnesses are often misunderstood. The loss of sight can mean complete loss of a livelihood.

For Dr. Aouchice, the people of the desolate island nation hold a special place in his heart. He traveled there earlier this year with his teen daughter following the devastating earthquake in January, and helped to perform some 800 eye surgeries.