Gerry Kiley got to know patients before making their eyes

Sault Ste. Marie is known for many things, being a steel and hockey town mainly but in the early 1980’s Sault Ste. Marie had another unique market “Ocular Prosthetics” or artificial eyes. Gerry Kiley began working in the early 1960s as the assistant to Optometrist Gordon Cunningham.

He was later encouraged by eye surgeon Dr. Robert Stevenson to set up his own practice. To learn his trade he studied at what was then known as Ryerson University in Toronto.

In 1982 Gerry Kiley was one of only three opticians in Northern Ontario who fit artificial eyes, the other two were located in Sudbury. He worked out of the Group Health Centre and began his practice there in the late 1970s.

Since most individuals needing a prosthetic suffered from a traumatic injury Kiley believed that building a level of trust is necessary for his line of work. Kiley would spend at least 20 minutes of an appointment just getting to know his patient.

His first step was to create an eye mould of the eye socket itself. Next, an iris button was coloured and made to match the patient’s existing eye as closely as possible. The next step was to decorate the eye by threading red fabric onto the white section of the prosthetic to give the appearance of veins.

Once everything was in place Kiley then poured a liquid methacrylate on the eye to fix everything together. Finally, a clear acrylic resin was applied to create a “perfect lustre”.

The entire process took up to three weeks to complete and Kiley created the entire eye in-house except for some colouring work which had to be done in Toronto. The total cost of an artificial eye was approximately $325 as of 1982 and any rebuilding work cost $110.

Realizing not everyone who needs a prosthetic eye can afford one, Kiley stated that organizations like Algoma District Family and Social Services, Workman’s Compensation Board and Welfare Canada could provide funding for those who were unable to afford it.

The personal care of the artificial eyes according to Kiley was quite easy because the constant flow of tears cleans them. The only reason needed to clean the eye was if someone was exposed to a dusty or smoky environment, even so, some warm water and some soap would do the job.

For many individuals, this process would cause a great deal of insecurity about the use of an artificial eye, however, Gerry Kiley’s relaxed and personable approach as well as the realistic appearance of the prosthetic eyes allowed them to have more freedom.

By 1982 Kiley had created 75 artificial eyes and his love of his work and helping people would propel him forward.

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Find out more of what the Public Library has to offer at www.ssmpl.ca and look for more Remember This? columns here.