As a photographer and amateur astronomer, I rely heavily on my eyes. I recall when I first realized my sight had gone south. I just assumed, like most who don’t realize their eyesight is off, that the world looked a certain way.

When I went back to college in 2008 at 23, I realized I should probably be able to see the board clearly from the front row. I couldn’t. I went and got an eye exam, realized that my vision was off, and my first pair of glasses was a very humbling experience. The world came into view: I couldn’t believe I had been missing out on what I was seeing, and that most everyone else sees the world this way. Exploring and photographing the night sky became even more enjoyable.

Unfortunately, glasses are a pain. It is a constant battle to keep them located, functional, and clean. They provided a sharp but boxed view of the world. While I loved the fact they helped me see, after my 3-year-old broke my third pair I realized that LASIK would be on the table and hopefully soon. Glasses are a blessing and a curse. I really longed to be free from them while retaining the benefits of clear vision.

We were looking around to price a surgery when we stumbled upon a photography contest being held by Hoopes Vision in Draper. Being a photographer I figured I had a shot at maybe winning this surgery. Not keeping my hopes high, I submitted a photo. It soon made the final 12, and luckily I was able to land first place in the contest and a free LASIK surgery to go with it. In short, I am really blown away that Dr. Hoopes would be generous enough to hand out two free Lasik surgeries, one to me and one to another photographer who won in a different category. These operations cost thousands of dollars and for a company to be willing to help people out like this is really amazing. My hat is off to them.

The day of my consultation was great. The staff is super friendly, the facility is amazing, and the entire experience was comfortable, informative, and relaxing. The following day I went in for surgery. Dr. Hoopes and his staff were fantastic. The entire process was smooth, pain-free, and surprisingly quick. I was in and out within two hours. By that evening I could already tell my eyes were working better without glasses than they had with them. For my post operation appointment, I came in at 20/15 in both eyes overnight. Nothing short of a life changing experience delivered at the hands of Hoopes Vision, and guaranteed for life. I would recommend them to anyone. Thanks, Hoopes!!