Heroes don’t have to be the typical character portrayed in movies. Heroes can come from every walk of society. Fredric Harwin, MSc, BCO, BADO, FAMI has changed the lives of many people. Through his world-class services, he has become a renowned ocularist. His work is so detailed and full of passion, ensuring that his patients get nothing but the best.
He is responsible for making cool almost real looking acrylic prosthetics that when worn could be mistaken for a functioning eye. Losing an eye has to be a very traumatic experience for anyone since it is the tool in which we use to look into the world.
For Fredric Harwin, he believes that everyone has the right to belong. People with eye impediments tend to be ignored by the society. For them to feel comfortable they have to find access to natural, nontoxic prosthetics that durable.
To begin with, he achieved a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Wayne State University. He then went over to Michigan University to collects a master’s degree in biological and medical illustration. He was lucky enough to have his first job at Wayne County General Hospital.
He didn’t know it at the time but his work as a medical illustrator was going to serve him when he plunged into ocular prosthetics. In his work, he got the chance to contribute to a two-volume atlas based on cardiac surgery.
He personally had to attend all these surgeries in order to get all the details. At times he even had to attend the same procedure twice. The meticulousness of his work as a medical illustrator can be seen in all of his work including the famous prosthetics.
During that time he got interested in the world of prosthetics. He came up with the idea of opening a clinic for facial prosthetics at the Oregon Health Sciences University. Like all smart people do, his research took him on a journey. He visited various clinics in the span of a year to make sure he understood all the ways to do these prosthetics.
In the midst of making different prosthetics, he came to the conclusion that he really enjoyed making the eyes. From there he has not stopped. He has various patients waiting for his services that are usually detailed.
Generally, he spends 8 hours, 4 sessions before the final product is complete. The client gets to see him working which creates a bond between them and ensures that the details are as close as can be. Making one prosthetic has twelve steps, at the end, the client gets a prosthetic that fits like a glove. The eye is very detailed that you could see layers and blood vessels just like a normal eye would have.
The combination of art and science can clearly be experienced from his work. He customizes each prosthetic with a symbol that means something for the client. It may be a rabbit or a sunflower, it doesn’t matter, Fredric Harwin will do it for his clients.
His talents don’t end there. When he discovered the world of oil paints and canvas, his possibilities became larger. Being that he is a firm believer that art and science can work together, he believes that nothing can stop him from making his clients feel good.
His artwork is dreamy and intricate with detail. He says that his favorite things to paint are trees. Since he has been illustrating blood vessels most of his life, he integrated them into his tree paintings. It’s not only trees he paints, you can see landscape, vibrant color and immaculate detail.
Just like he is a lover of art, he is a lover of science. He has accomplished a lot having the opportunity to work at a professor in several well-known universities. Currently, he still runs his clinic and he is an assistant professor at John Hopkins Medical School. He even finds time to the president of The Center of Ocular Prosthetics.
The look on his face when he sees a satisfied customer is priceless. For him, it’s not all about the money. It is just about helping his clients feel comfortable in their own skin and live normal lives.
For those who are looking for a customized prosthetic eye, there is hope. With technology evolving every day, there is a chance that more people like Fredric Harwin will be able to avail these services to the multitudes to need them. For more information, check out Frederic’s website www.fredharwin.com.
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