The Life of Fred Hollows
Fred Hollows was born in Dunedin, in the south part of New Zealand on the 9th of April 1929. He was one of four children the other brothers being John, Colin and Monty otherwise known as Maurice all born in Dunedin to Joseph and Clarice Marshall Hollows. They all lived in Dunedin for their first seven years. He went to an informal school at North East Valley Primary School before joining Palmerston Boys High School when he was 13. Hollows was given a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree from Victoria University of Wellington.
Fred Hollows married to his first wife Mary Skiller in 1958 who sadly passed away in 1975
Growing up he always wanted to become a missionary. After doing some charity work he decided to dedicate his life to medical eye reasons and enrolled himself into Otago Medical School. This is how Fred Hollows' life's work began.
In 1961 he went to Moorfields Eye Hospital in England to study ophthalmology. He then in Wales did his postgraduate work before moving to Australia in 1965 where he became an associate professor of ophthalmology at the University of New South Wales in Sydney.
When he moved to Australia in no time, he soon became head of an eye department.
From 1965–1992 Hollows was chair of the ophthalmology division taking care of the teaching departments at the University of New South Wales, and the Prince of Wales and Prince Henry hospitals.
In 1980 Fred Hollows married to his second wife Gabi Hollows.
Fred Hollows married to his first wife Mary Skiller in 1958 who sadly passed away in 1975
Growing up he always wanted to become a missionary. After doing some charity work he decided to dedicate his life to medical eye reasons and enrolled himself into Otago Medical School. This is how Fred Hollows' life's work began.
In 1961 he went to Moorfields Eye Hospital in England to study ophthalmology. He then in Wales did his postgraduate work before moving to Australia in 1965 where he became an associate professor of ophthalmology at the University of New South Wales in Sydney.
When he moved to Australia in no time, he soon became head of an eye department.
From 1965–1992 Hollows was chair of the ophthalmology division taking care of the teaching departments at the University of New South Wales, and the Prince of Wales and Prince Henry hospitals.
In 1980 Fred Hollows married to his second wife Gabi Hollows.
Fred & Gabi Hollows (Gabi O'Sullivan)
Fred was so shocked about the amount of people in Indigenous towns with lots of eye diseases. Fred Hollows believed in equality for people, poor or wealthy. He treated every eye surgery as if it was the kings or the prime minister's Fred travelled all over Australia visiting four hundred and sixty five indigenous towns, curing approximately sixty thousand people with a group of eighty doctors and gave away ten thousand glasses. Most of the Indigenous people he met while touring Australia had an eye disease called trachoma.
Trachoma
Unfortunately Fred was diagnosed with cancer in 1989.
In Eritrea there was a civil war and Fred Hollows discovered that there were no eye doctors (ophthalmologist) to treat soldiers or civilians, so he packed his equipment and went over to Eritrea with his companions to help those who needed eye treatment. Fred Hollows once said "When I've seen an opportunity I haven't sat down and called a committee meeting, we've gone and done it."
In Eritrea there was a civil war and Fred Hollows discovered that there were no eye doctors (ophthalmologist) to treat soldiers or civilians, so he packed his equipment and went over to Eritrea with his companions to help those who needed eye treatment. Fred Hollows once said "When I've seen an opportunity I haven't sat down and called a committee meeting, we've gone and done it."
Fred Hollows travelled to Vietnam for the very first time in April 1992, and at the end of his trip he gave a promise to the whole country to bring back training, tools and equipment. In July with funding dependent on his profile and a powerful persuasive use of language, he considered himself fit from hospital and flew to Sydney.
Fred Hollows received the money four days later and a week later he flew back to Vietnam with an eye team all prepared to hold the first eye surgery workshop in Vietnam.
Fred Hollows received the money four days later and a week later he flew back to Vietnam with an eye team all prepared to hold the first eye surgery workshop in Vietnam.
In Vietnam 380 000 people are blind with over 250 000 with cataract blindness. Before Fred Hollows came, only 1 000 modern cataract surgeries were performed a year, but now 160 000 are performed.
Cataract blindness affects young and old. Most poor Vietnamese families live with $50 dollars a month. With the help of The Fred Hollows Foundation 7 000 eye doctors have been trained to treat eye's and perform modern eye surgery.
Fred Hollows died in 1993 from cancer at the age of 63 in Sydney surrounded by his family and friends.
He was given a funeral mass at St Mary's Cathedral in Sydney.
I find this very interesting below.
Fred was buried with his glasses, letters from some of his
children, sawdust from his workshop, his pipe with a tin of tobacco and a bottle of whisky?!?
A year before he died he set up a foundation that would continue his work, called the Fred Hollows Foundation. He set up The Fred Hollows Foundation with his wife, a group of friends and some supporters.
In 1994 The Fred Hollows Foundation opened modern intraocular lens factories/laboratories in Nepal and Eritrea and they sold the intraocular lenses for a low price (such as $8 AU)(before intraocular eye lenses use to cost between $150 to $200).
These 'intraocular lenses' help people with cataract blindness, as an intraocular lens is rather a replacement for the cloudy lens which is removed and replaced with the 'intraocular lenses' during cataract surgery.
He basically gave the disadvantage an advantage by putting down the price of the lenses.
Cataract blindness affects young and old. Most poor Vietnamese families live with $50 dollars a month. With the help of The Fred Hollows Foundation 7 000 eye doctors have been trained to treat eye's and perform modern eye surgery.
Fred Hollows died in 1993 from cancer at the age of 63 in Sydney surrounded by his family and friends.
He was given a funeral mass at St Mary's Cathedral in Sydney.
I find this very interesting below.
Fred was buried with his glasses, letters from some of his
children, sawdust from his workshop, his pipe with a tin of tobacco and a bottle of whisky?!?
A year before he died he set up a foundation that would continue his work, called the Fred Hollows Foundation. He set up The Fred Hollows Foundation with his wife, a group of friends and some supporters.
In 1994 The Fred Hollows Foundation opened modern intraocular lens factories/laboratories in Nepal and Eritrea and they sold the intraocular lenses for a low price (such as $8 AU)(before intraocular eye lenses use to cost between $150 to $200).
These 'intraocular lenses' help people with cataract blindness, as an intraocular lens is rather a replacement for the cloudy lens which is removed and replaced with the 'intraocular lenses' during cataract surgery.
He basically gave the disadvantage an advantage by putting down the price of the lenses.
Cataract eye
4 Photos of Fred Hollows
All the Achievements he has made are countless and most of them are listed below.
The title of Australian of the Year was awarded to Fred Hollows in 1990 in recognition of his work in treating avoidable blindness in some of the world's poorest communities. Fred Hollows halved the amount of curable blindness in Australia, he cured more than over a million people throughout the world. People in Vietnam, Eritrea, Nepal and many more countries can now see because of his life’s work. He received an Advance Australia Award for Aboriginal Eye Care,Hollows was also Awarded the Human Rights Medal. He was given an Advance Australia Award for Medicine and Overseas Aid. He was awarded Doctor of Medicine and Doctor of Science, Honoris Causa, UNSW. He was appointed Companion General Division of the Order of Australia (AC).
He was admitted as Doctor of Medicine honoris causa at the University of NSW,
he was also named Eritrea's first honorary citizen.
Of course there are many more achievements Fred Hollows has made, but I would be writing for weeks!
http://www.hollows.org/Assets/Files/Fact%20Sheet%20Fred%20Hollows.pdf
Fred Hollows now lies in his grave in Bourke NSW.
The title of Australian of the Year was awarded to Fred Hollows in 1990 in recognition of his work in treating avoidable blindness in some of the world's poorest communities. Fred Hollows halved the amount of curable blindness in Australia, he cured more than over a million people throughout the world. People in Vietnam, Eritrea, Nepal and many more countries can now see because of his life’s work. He received an Advance Australia Award for Aboriginal Eye Care,Hollows was also Awarded the Human Rights Medal. He was given an Advance Australia Award for Medicine and Overseas Aid. He was awarded Doctor of Medicine and Doctor of Science, Honoris Causa, UNSW. He was appointed Companion General Division of the Order of Australia (AC).
He was admitted as Doctor of Medicine honoris causa at the University of NSW,
he was also named Eritrea's first honorary citizen.
Of course there are many more achievements Fred Hollows has made, but I would be writing for weeks!
http://www.hollows.org/Assets/Files/Fact%20Sheet%20Fred%20Hollows.pdf
Fred Hollows now lies in his grave in Bourke NSW.
Statement of Significance
Fred Hollows is not only a hero, he was a life bringer and gave hope to those who were less fortunate than him. Some say he created magic or in other terms, he did things that other doctors couldn't do in the developing countries. This may sound unbelievable, he cured more than a million people with eye diseases during his lifetime. “Fred was many things to many people – a husband, a father, a friend, a skilled ophthalmologist and for a few politicians and bureaucrats, an irritating thorn in their butt. But above all else he was a humanitarian, which made him a terrific doctor. He truly believed it was the role of a doctor to serve, to help those in need,” says Gabi Hollows.
He proved that one person could change the world. Now because of him four out of five people can see.
He proved that one person could change the world. Now because of him four out of five people can see.
