Legally blind doctor defies the odds
By: Liz Tufts
Email: ltufts@abc6.com
Twitter: LizTurftsabc6
Despite his lack of vision, a doctor in Warwick has overcome obstacles and is helping others living with blindness.
Doctor Raymond Mis always has his “eyes” glued to the screen as he performs colonoscopies and endoscopies on his patients.
He says he’s been given a second chance and is willing to run with it.
Fifteen years ago, two days before turning 40, Dr. Mis realized he couldn’t see the stop sign at the end of his street.
Dr. Mis thought he simply needed glasses but he was later diagnosed with optic nerve atrophy, a condition that affects the central part of his vision. He can not see straight ahead.
Dr. Mis is now considered legally blind. He was told he would never be able to practice medicine again.
“I fought too hard to get here and I didn’t want to give up on my dream so I needed to exhaust that possibility,” he said.
Dr. Mis has his own practice in Warwick and is affiliated with Kent Hospital.
Focused on getting answers, Dr. Mis went to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota and found treatment for some of the infection and his vision started to stabilize in 2001.
“It takes a village for me but it’s technology that allows me to walk around the hospital,” he said.
The doctor has a special computer with magnification equipment, voice activated software on his home computer, and devices on his work desk that allow him to read independently.
Because of his vision issue, Dr. Mis said he’s constantly getting checked on to make sure he can still do the job. He said he’s evaluated much more than any doctor in his field. His record is always being reviewed and his eyes are always being examined.
The many awards on Dr. Mis’ wall are proof that you don’t have to "see" to believe and achieve.
“Many people said I shouldn’t, couldn’t, and wouldn’t practice medicine. I play the game, but play it differently,” He said
Dr. Mis wanted to do something to help others living with blindness so he turned to ice cream.
He created a high–fiber brand called “Seriously Good Ice Cream” which is now being sold at stores across the state, and some of the proceeds go to helping blind children fulfill their dreams.
You can click here for more information on Seriously Good Ice Cream.
© WLNE-TV / ABC6 2017
