Angel Studios’ award-winning film “Sight” (FREE link: sight.drmingwang.com), is based on my autobiography From Darkness to Sight, and tells the story of invention of amniotic membrane contact lens, a technology that has transformed the world and given vision back to millions.
The film shows my attempts to restore the eyesight of Kajal, a five-year-old Indian orphan whose stepmother intentionally and maliciously blinded her by pouring sulfuric acid into Kajal’s eyes, in the belief that a blind “orphan” singer begging on the streets brings in more money. I ask you, who is truly blind here? Kajal or her stepmother? But I believe in an all-seeing, merciful God, who led the Wang Foundation for Sight Restoration to find Kajal and bring her to America.
Kajal’s eyes were severely scarred and she was, in fact, completely blind. I started seeking a way to reduce the scars and restore her eyesight. I remembered that a fetus can heal without scarring, but I didn’t know why. One of the many problems was, how could we do research on a fetus, seeking an answer that would help patients like Kajal, without hurting the fetus itself? Do faith and science have common ground?
Searching for an answer, I prayed to God, asking for help to find a way to do the research while protecting the fetus’ life. The New Testament says that perseverance completes us. With this message always in my thoughts, I kept trying, believing that God would somehow show me the way to do what I needed to do for Kajal, without causing harm.
That perseverance paid off! God showed us the way! We started by doing research on the placenta and the amniotic membrane, thinking that perhaps the reason that a fetus does not scar in a mother’s womb is because of the protection that the membrane offers. This hypothesis turned out to be correct. And it led me to develop the amniotic membrane contact lens. When I put the AMCL onto Kajal’s eyes, a miracle happened – it reduced the scarring and restored her eyesight.
I asked myself, “Did I really invent the amniotic membrane contact lens?” My answer was “No,” since I did not invent the placenta or the amniotic membrane. As a scientist, I was just privileged that God gave me a rare glimpse into part of God’s magnificent original creation! All of the credit goes to God. Understanding this, I decided to donate the technology to the world. I put the patent online and started teaching about it, pro bono. Over 10,000 eye doctors from many countries now know how to use the technology.
Today, amniotic membrane contact lenses are a $5 billion dollar industry. Eye doctors from nearly every nation use them. The lenses have allowed millions of blind people to see. Even though I did not make any money, I am happy that this technology has transformed so many lives, and that I answered God’s call to share this amazing scientific discovery with the world. With God’s guidance, everything is possible.
—Ming Wang, MD, PhD,
drwang@wangvisioninstitute.com, www.drmingwang.com
