In The Media - Beryl Carvalho - Eyes Alive

Dr Dawie Botes - Bloemfontein Eye & Laser Clinic, Beryl & Pedro Carvalho - Eyes Alive and Pieter De Necker - De Necker Optometrist have each won themselves a copy of Kanski's Clinical Ophthalmology, 9th Ed. in our lucky birthday draw.

TearJoy say thank you to all their amazing participants for making their 3rd Birthday celebration extra special.

The ocularist’s domain is the eye socket and blinded phthysical eye. An ocularist manufactures and fits ocular prosthetics for a patient who has lost an eye or eyes through evisceration or enucleation as well as fitting a scleral shell prosthesis over the blind phthysical eye or a blinded eye with an irregular cornea where a coloured contact lens wouldn’t fit effectively.

Our eyes are hand-painted and sculpted to fit the socket/eye by taking an impression of the socket and working on a copy of this shape with adjustments to the front surface and into the fornices to manipulate the soft tissue in the socket and lids to enable the best final shape, size, comfort and movement possible. We also utilise prefabricated stock eyes only in dark brown iris shades as the blues and greens are much too expensive to import for the South African market...

When getting an eye prosthesis for the first time, it can be a very nerve-wracking experience for patients, as they have usually been through an evisceration (removing the contents of the eye) or enucleation (removing the complete eye).
The first session often requires time to set the patient’s mind at ease with the process ahead.

The loss of an eye, in the initial stages, has devastating consequences for the person concerned and his or family. Such consequences encompass a combination of physical, psychological and emotional factors.

The profession of ocularistry in South Africa is a much valued but scarce discipline who make a difference in the lives of thousands of individuals who have suffered...

Beryl Carvalho of Eyes Alive is an Ocularist who has been in practice for in excess of twenty five years and who was recently honoured by Lions International for changing the lives of economically challenged individuals who otherwise would have had to go through their lives with the burden and stigma of a visible hysical deformity, associated emotional trauma and decreased self- worth...

After meeting Beryl & Pedro Carvalho of Eyes Alive through Lion Blyda and Harold Rosen and attending a presentation we decided this was an extremely worthwhile project. With the assistance of David O’Sullivan of 702 and his listeners and an interview with PP Delphine Ferreira, 18 immediate responses were received. These were screened and assessed and a decision on the recipient reached. The recipient would be Thulani a bright 16 year old who had lost his eye at the age of 12 and whose wish it was “to look normal again”. With the help and expertise of Beryl of Eyes Alive we arranged his first appointment and she began working with began working with Thulani immediately...

The loss of an eye can result from medical problems such as cancer and infection or trauma such as a motor accident. Whatever, the reason for it, the loss of an eye is devastatingly traumatic experience for any person and the close family. Information available indicates that the incidence of patience requiring an ocular prosthesis in South Africa is one in ten thousand, affecting all ages, irrespective of race, gender, religion or geographic boundaries.

Ocularistry is the profession that is dedicated to the manufacture and fitting of ocular prosthetics ( false eyes).The professionals concerned posses specialised skills and knowledge to ensure the challenges facing those who have lost an eye (and in some cases, both eyes ) are satisfactorily addressed, aesthetically and psychologically.

On the 8th April 2013, the delegates and family members boarded the sleek MSC Sinfonia cruise ship to set sail on a 5 day unforgettable Congress cruise on the high seas en route to Maputo, Mozambique. After settling in, the Congress delegates and family members all enjoyed an introductory cocktail party and were welcomed by OASA’s President, Pedro Carvalho.

The Ocularists Association of Southern Africa (OASA) was recently officially recognised and registered as a professional body by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA). As such , the designation of ‘Ocularist’ has been included within the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) and represents a qualification built on the principles of relevant and appropriate standards, quality and excellence

An artificial eye can cost as much as R7000 and takes a day to make, according to an artificial eye technician. Beryl Carvalho says the challenge is to produce a custom made eye that is a real joy to the wearer and the first step is to take an impression of the eye socket

We specialize in custom-made artificial eyes - individually designed for each client. We take a jelly like impression to get the shape and size of the socket. From there we hand paint the iris(pupil) and cure an acrylic which we copy from the white of the patient's eye...

Beryl Bouttel of Eyes Alive manufactures custom-designed, individually-crafted and hand painted ocular prosthetics - or, if you like, artificial eyes.

It was quite a difficult procedure because his own eye had shrunk and so several fittings were necessary but he now has an eye! He also has been taught how to take care of it and clean it but he will of course need ongoing appointments and new fittings as time goes by.