When someone loses an eye, it can be devastating. But they don't have to be gone forever, at least if Kathleen Kisiloski has anything to say about it.
She's Manitoba's only artificial eye maker.
Her work is a mixture of science and art as she crafts eyeballs that match the natural eye perfectly.
"It's more of an art form. It's medical, but it's also art as well,” said Kisiloski.
The five-hour process begins with an impression of the person's eye socket.
Then, she begins painting what will become an iris, matching the colour of the natural eye.
She even adds a few pieces of thread to mimic blood vessels.
Kisiloski said while she can't restore her patients' vision, she can help them recover their self-esteem.
"A lot of people tell me – ‘You don't know what you've done for me. I wouldn't go out of the house. Now, I have my life back,’” she said.
Patients like Aaron Bell are living proof of that.
He recently was outfitted with one of Kisiloski’s artificial eyes.
"This looks better than it was. You can't cure ugly, but it looks normal,” he joked.
