Health
David Paton, Creator of Flying Eye Hospital, Dies at 94
David Paton, an idealistic and innovative ophthalmologist who started Project Orbis, converting a United Airlines jet into a flying hospital that took surgeons to developing countries to operate on patients and educate local doctors, died on April 3 at his home in Reno, Nev. He was 94.
His death was confirmed by his son, Townley.
The son of a prominent New York eye surgeon whose patients included the Shah of Iran and the financier J. Pierpont Morgan’s horse, Dr. Paton (pronounced PAY-ton) was teaching at the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins University in the early 1970s when he became discouraged by increasing cases of preventable blindness in far-flung places.
“More eye doctors were needed,” he wrote in his memoir, “Second Sight: Views from an Eye Doctor’s Odyssey” (2011), “but equally important was the need to beef up the existing doctors’ medical education.”
But how?
He considered shipping trunks of equipment — almost the way a circus would — but that presented logistical challenges. He pondered the possibility of using a medical ship like the one that Project Hope, a humanitarian group, sent around the world. That was too slow for him.
“Shortly after the first moon landing in 1969, thinking big was becoming a reality,” Dr. Paton wrote.
And then a moonshot idea struck him: “Could an aircraft be the answer? A large enough aircraft could be converted into an operating theater, a teaching classroom and all the necessary facilities.”
All he needed was a plane. He asked the military to donate one, but that was a nonstarter. He approached several universities for the money to buy one, but administrators turned him down, saying the idea wasn’t feasible.
“David was willing to take risks that others wouldn’t,” Bruce Spivey, the founding president of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, said in an interview. “He was charming. He was inspiring. And he didn’t quit.”
Dr. Paton decided to raise funds on his own. In 1973, he founded Project Orbis with a group of wealthy, well-connected society figures like the Texas oilman Leonard F. McCollum and Betsy Trippe Wainwright, the daughter of the Pan American World Airways founder Juan Trippe.
In 1980, Mr. Trippe helped persuade the United Airlines chief executive Edward Carlson to donate a DC-8 jet. The United States Agency for International Development contributed $1.25 million to convert the plane into a hospital with an operating room, recovery area and a classroom equipped with televisions, so local medical workers could watch surgeries.
Surgeons and nurses volunteered their services, agreeing to spend two to four weeks abroad. The first flight, in 1982, was to Panama. The plane then went to Peru, Jordan, Nepal and beyond. Mother Teresa once visited. So did the Cuban leader Fidel Castro.
In 1999, The Sunday Times of London’s magazine sent a reporter to Cuba to write about the plane, now known as the Flying Eye Hospital. One of the patients who arrived was a 14-year-old girl named Julia.
“In developed nations, Julia’s condition would have been little more than an irritation,” The Sunday Times article said. “It is almost certain she had uveitis, an inflammation inside the eye, which can be cleared with drops. In Britain, even cats are easily treated.”
Her doctor was Edward Holland, a prominent eye surgeon.
“Holland uses tiny knives to make openings that allow him to get his instruments into the eye, and soon he is pulling at Julia’s scar tissue,” The Sunday Times article said. “As the tissue is pulled away, a dark and liquid pupil, unseen for a decade, is revealed. It is an intimate and moving moment; this is medicine’s chamber music. Next, he breaks up and removes the cataract, and implants a lens so that the eye will keep its shape.”
The Cuban ophthalmologists watching in the viewing room applauded.
But after the surgery, Julia still couldn’t see.
“And then a minor miracle begins,” the article said. “As the swelling begins to go down, she makes discoveries about the world around her. Minute by minute she can see something new.”
David Paton was born on Aug. 16, 1930, in Baltimore, and grew up in Manhattan. His father, Richard Townley Paton, specialized in corneal transplants and founded the Eye-Bank for Sight Restoration. His mother, Helen (Meserve) Paton, was an interior designer.
In his memoir, he described growing up “among the fine, intellectually sharp, widely traveled persons of the Establishment.” His father practiced on Park Avenue. His mother threw parties at their home on the Upper East Side.
David attended the Hill School, a boarding school in Pottstown, Pa. There, he met James A. Baker III, a Texan who later became secretary of state for President George H.W. Bush. They were roommates at Princeton University and lifelong best friends.
“David came from a very privileged background, but he was down to earth and just a very likable guy,” Mr. Baker said in an interview. “He had his objectives in life straight. He was a hell of a lot better student than I was.”
After graduating from Princeton in 1952, David earned his medical degree from Johns Hopkins University. He worked in senior positions at the Wilmer Eye Institute and served as chairman of the ophthalmology department at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.
In 1979, while still trying to procure a plane for Project Orbis, he became the medical director of the King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
“Among my duties,” he wrote in his memoir, “was providing eye care for many of the princes and princesses of the kingdom — about 5,000 of each, I was told — and it seemed that all of them insisted on being treated exclusively by the doctor in charge, no matter how minor their complaint.”
Dr. Paton’s marriages to Jane Sterling Treman and Jane Franke ended in divorce. He married Diane Johnston in 1985. She died in 2022.
In addition to his son, he is survived by two granddaughters.
Dr. Paton left his role as medical director of Project Orbis in 1987, after a dispute with the board of directors. That year, President Ronald Reagan awarded him the Presidential Citizens Medal.
Although his official connection with the organization had ended, he occasionally served as an informal adviser.
Now called Orbis International, the organization is on its third plane, an MD-10 donated by Federal Express.
From 2014 to 2023, Orbis performed more than 621,000 surgeries and procedures, according to its most recent annual report, and offered more than 424,000 training sessions to doctors, nurses and other providers.
“The plane is just such a unique venue,” Dr. Hunter Cherwek, the organization’s vice president of clinical services and technologies, said in an interview. “It was just an incredibly bold and visionary idea.”
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Fully dressed in her elegant wedding gown before her ceremony, a determined bride made a surprise visit to her hospitalized mother just hours before getting married.
The heartfelt moment came after it was clear her mother’s medical condition would unfortunately prevent her from attending the big day in person, Caters News reported.
Laetitia Obry of Gonsans, France, refused to let the difficult circumstances steal a family milestone from them.
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Her journey was filmed by her sister, Oceane, who captured the bride as she traveled for two hours to get to the hospital to be with her mom.
Despite the tight schedule, Obry was determined to spend some precious moments with her mother before heading to her wedding.
Daughter Laetitia Obry of Gonsans, France, shown with her husband-to-be, said that despite the length of the trip and the tight time frame, there was no way she was missing the chance to see her mom on her wedding day. (Caters)
The touching footage shows Obry entering her mother’s hospital room in full bridal attire — prompting an immediate and emotional reaction from her mother, who was seated in a chair.
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The room filled with overwhelming joy as the pair embraced and shared a heartfelt, unforgettable moment together, the video shows.
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Obry said that although the journey was long and the actual visit was too brief, it was a moment she simply could not miss on one of the most important days of her life, Caters reported.
The bride, dressed in her wedding gown, made a surprise visit to her hospitalized mother just hours before her wedding ceremony after her mother was unable to attend the big day. (Caters)
This moving video resonated deeply online, prompting viewers to share their own experiences.
One user recalled a similar story.
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“My mother was hospitalized too,” wrote the commenter.
Another user said her mother was hospitalized, too. “She cried, pleaded and begged the doctors to let her leave for just a few hours for my wedding,” the person shared. (iStock)
“She cried, pleaded and begged the doctors to let her leave for just a few hours for my wedding.”
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The writer went on, “They finally agreed after she signed a medical waiver. Because of that compromise, she was able to stay until the cake cutting before returning to the hospital like Cinderella before midnight. It was magical.”
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Higher levels of vitamin C were linked to healthier brain structure in older adults, suggesting a potential role for nutrition in brain aging.
That’s according to new research from Japan, published in the journal PLOS ONE.
The observational study included 2,044 participants living in Hirosaki City, Japan, who were originally included in a study exploring dementia and heart disease risk. The average age was 69, and 61% of them were female.
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The researchers measured the participants’ vitamin C levels using blood samples and performed MRI scans to calculate the volume of gray matter and white matter in their brains.
Even after accounting for external factors like age, smoking habits, diabetes and other lifestyle behaviors, they found that those with lower vitamin C levels appeared to have lower brain tissue volumes and weaker structural network patterns.
Higher levels of vitamin C levels were linked to healthier brain structure in older adults, suggesting a potential role for nutrition in brain aging. (iStock)
“Our study demonstrates that older adults with higher blood levels of vitamin C tend to have better-preserved brain structure (gray matter) and stronger connections within the default mode network (DMN), a crucial brain network involved in memory and cognitive function,” Tomohiro Shintaku, MD, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Radiology Graduate School of Medicine at Hirosaki University, told Fox News Digital.
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“While diets rich in vitamin C are known to lower the risk of cognitive decline, our study is the very first to demonstrate a direct association between actual blood plasma vitamin C levels and the structural connectivity of the DMN,” he added.
This network is often affected by conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and depression, according to the researchers.
The researchers measured the participants’ vitamin C levels using blood samples and performed MRI scans to calculate the volume of gray matter and white matter in their brains. (iStock)
The vitamin C measurement was more accurate than studies that relied on dietary estimates, the researchers noted.
“What I found most fascinating is that we could detect such clear associations between a single nutritional factor (vitamin C) and large-scale brain networks in a robust cohort of over 2,000 older adults,” Shintaku said. “It highlights how significantly our everyday dietary habits might impact brain structure.”
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The study underscores the importance of obtaining vitamin C from the daily diet, as humans cannot synthesize it on their own, the researchers noted.
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“Our findings suggest that maintaining optimal vitamin C levels through a healthy diet — rich in citrus fruits, berries, tomatoes and green leafy vegetables — could be a simple yet powerful way to support brain health as we age,” Shintaku said.
Those with lower vitamin C levels appeared to have lower brain tissue volumes and weaker structural network patterns. (iStock)
The study did have some limitations, the researchers noted.
“Because our study is observational and cross-sectional, we can only show an association, not a cause-and-effect relationship,” Shintaku told Fox News Digital. “Other limitations include relying on a single blood measurement per participant.”
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Other external factors, such as dietary intake, body mass index and socioeconomic variables, could have played a role in the outcomes.
Also, the link was relatively modest compared to established risk factors like high blood pressure and blood sugar, the researchers noted.
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Findings from other, larger studies, including UK Biobank research with more than 9,000 people, suggest that vitamin C is just one of several factors that may influence brain health.
Because the participants were almost all older Japanese adults, the findings may not be generalized to other populations.
“It is best viewed as a signal that vitamin C status may be one piece of a much larger brain-health picture.”
“This study found an association between higher plasma vitamin C levels and MRI markers of brain health, including gray matter volume and connectivity in the default mode network, which is involved in several cognitive functions,” Dung Trinh, MD, an internal medicine physician and founder of the Healthy Brain Clinic, commented to Medical News Today.
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“That said, the study does not prove that vitamin C prevents cognitive decline or that taking supplements will improve brain health. It is best viewed as a signal that vitamin C status may be one piece of a much larger brain-health picture.”
Ultra-processed foods linked to dementia risk
Amen Clinics Associate Medical Director Dr. Eboni Cornish joins ‘Fox & Friends First’ to discuss a study revealing a 58% higher dementia risk and 46% increase in cognitive impairment from consuming ultra-processed foods.
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Veteran New York news anchor Bill Ritter revealed Friday that he has been diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease, bringing an end to his more than two-decade run behind the WABC-TV anchor desk.
Ritter, 76, who has anchored the station’s 6 p.m. newscast in New York City since 2001, revealed during Friday’s Eyewitness News broadcast that it would be his final night anchoring the program.
“After a series of tests, my doctors have told me I have Alzheimer’s,” Ritter said during the broadcast.
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“It’s early-stage Alzheimer’s, and they say the treatments I’m getting are keeping it at bay, for now,” he continued. “But there is no guarantee, because there’s no cure yet for Alzheimer’s.”
Veteran New York news anchor Bill Ritter announced that he has been diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease and is stepping away from the WABC-TV anchor desk. (Linda Rosier/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images)
“So, unless someone finds an amazing cure, and soon, tonight will be the last newscast I anchor,” he added.
According to ABC7, Ritter joined WABC-TV in 1998 after an extensive journalism career that included work at the Los Angeles Times, local television stations in California and positions with ABC News.
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He began anchoring the station’s 11 p.m. Eyewitness News broadcast in 1999 and was added to the flagship 6 p.m. newscast in 2001. He also anchored the station’s 5 p.m. broadcast for several years.
Bill Ritter has anchored WABC-TV’s 6 p.m. newscast in New York City since 2001. (Heidi Gutman/Disney via Getty Images)
ABC7 reported that Ritter will remain with the station in a new role focused in part on reporting about Alzheimer’s disease and other neurological conditions, as well as their impact on patients and families.
“For decades, Bill Ritter has covered and led New Yorkers through the stories that matter most,” WABC-TV General Manager Marilu Galvez said in a statement.
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“A defining presence at ABC7, he has done so with exceptional insight, integrity and, most of all, heart, earning the love and respect of viewers and colleagues alike,” she continued.
“While he is stepping away from daily anchoring, he will continue to be an integral part of our ABC7 family, including sharing personal updates and providing resources to help others impacted by Alzheimer’s better understand the disease and the resources available to them.”
Bill Ritter, Eyewitness News Anchor, WABC-TV, speaks onstage at the ROAR Forward Summit at Hearst Tower on November 19, 2024 in New York City. (Craig Barritt/Getty Images for Hearst)
“Bill is strong, brilliant, and resourceful, and we look forward to his continued reporting on Eyewitness News,” Galvez added.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani responded to Ritter’s announcement by wishing the veteran broadcaster and his family “strength in the days ahead.”
“For decades, Bill Ritter has been a trusted presence in New Yorkers’ homes, helping us make sense of the news that shape our city,” Mamdani wrote on X. “
“His courage in sharing his Alzheimer’s diagnosis will help countless families facing the same challenge feel less alone,” he continued. “Wishing Bill, his loved ones, and everyone affected by Alzheimer’s strength in the days ahead.”
Ritter’s colleagues also reacted to his announcement.
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WABC-TV reporter Lucy Yang paid tribute to Ritter’s professionalism and dedication during his decades-long career at the station.
“For decades, I’ve reported for his show and even filled in, anchored w him,” she posted on X. “He never gave less than 110% I salute you. I thank you. And I will pray for you.”
Lee Goldberg, the station’s chief meteorologist, said Ritter’s influence would continue long after he stepped away from the anchor desk.
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“He preaches be kind, take care of each other, & we’re all in this together,” Goldberg said on X. “Now, in addition to doing these things for himself & his loving family, he’ll build on his legendary legacy by helping millions who share his battle.”
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“You’re a saint, and my hero @billritter7,” he added. “Love you.”
Ritter also noted during the broadcast that his father died of Alzheimer’s disease in 1998 after battling the illness for years.
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