SALT LAKE CITY — For more than two decades, optician Joseph Carbone has given the gift of sight to more than 400,000 kids through his clinic, "Eyecare 4 Kids."
Carbone says he's no hero but he was recently honored as one of Utah's "Heroes of Healthcare" due to his work and service in the community.
“It’s a wonderful honor and I’m happy to receive it," Carbone told FOX 13 News "But it’s a little misleading because it takes scores of people to make me look good!”
In addition to kids in "Eyecare 4 Kids," which now has nine clinics in four states plus a mobile clinic, Carbone has a new group of Utahns who he is trying to serve.
While his priority remains helping children, Carbone is not doing what he can to assist recently resettled refugees from Afghanistan.
Massi Saqi is one of roughly 1,000 Afghan refugees who has resettled in Utah over the past year, many of whom fled the country with little more than the clothes on their back.
“It’s a great help to have sight," Saqi said. "I really appreciate that!”
Sight is absolutely essential for Saqi, who is trying to create a new life in Utah.
"For someone who is living here, who needs to do driving, who needs to work, who needs to view as I contact with many people and see," Saqi explained, "eah, it’s real helpful.”
Carbone says one pair of glasses can give refugees freedom and help them be more self reliant.
"They come in we give them an exam, vision screening and really new, cool eyeglasses," Carbone said. "That gets them on their new path of freedom and self-reliance.”
