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JANUARY FEBRUARY 2004 OMNI PRESENCE JOURNAL PAGE 13
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John Malkow was a twenty year old army medic in 1968 when a lab explosion plunged him into a world of darkness. After ten days in intensive care and several months in hospitals and rehab he was told that there was no hope of ever seeing again and no help for the chemical stains that would gradually blacken his face. A fifth generation Oregonian, John returned to the Applegate Valley of Southern Oregon where he and his wife Anita settled on a farm near Murphy. He never saw his two daughters. Three weeks after the accident, Heidi was born and two years later Holly was born. He relied on his little daughters to lead him around their farm. |
But John was determined to live a normal life. He worked on the house, mowed the lawn and took care of the farm and even used a chain saw to cut wood every year. “I did everything but drive a car and fly a plane but remained hopeful that some day I would see my wife and daughters and after thirty years I would finally heard the words... “I think I can help you.”
Never Give Up is a story of John Malkow’s long and difficult journey from learning to see (at blind school) to participating in his daughters school activities, enduring cruel remarks about his appearance; yet he was always determined to live life at its fullest with his family and the community. No matter how often he was told “there is nothing we can do” John never gave up. So over the years those words “never give up” became his theme.
The irony of this story was the military’s inability or unwillingness to treat John’s condition. They offered him a retirement with what seemed to be the suggestion of “take the money and keep quiet and just live with the condition.” The military doctors claimed no surgery existed for his eyes and declined to provide treatment to remove the chemical stains from his face, saying the VA does not pay for procedures that are for cosmetic purposes. They insisted that there was no chance for John. For thirty years, he believed this to be true, until the day he met Dr. Scott Cherne, Dr. Timothy You and Dr. Douglas Naversen.
After raising his family, being an active community member, John continued his diligence to get the help he needed to get his sight back and regain the normal appearance of his face. Then in 1999 at the Clear Vision Institute in Eugene, Oregon he heard the infamous words that would change his life, “I think I can help you!” John spent thirty years without his eyesight, but that was about to change. Dr. Scott Cherne and Dr. Timothy You undertook the task of performing one of the two surgical procedures that the military doctors refused to perform. The corneal transplant surgery performed by these talented doctors was a miraculous event in John’s life. A whole new world of sight opened up to him.
Although the right eye is still blind, John now sees 20-30 with his left eye and his night vision is good. He describes the thrill of seeing the face of his loving wife Anita again and for the very first time, seeing their two beautiful daughters, Holly and Heidi. Watching his family enjoy Christmas and his first hunting trip are wonderful memories. He was often overwhelmed by the friends he did not recognize, but unfortunately his new sighted world also included an unrecognizable chemical stained face that looked back at him from the mirror. John didn’t give up on that score either.
After the corneal implant procedure his sight progressively improved. Dr. Cherne also suggested that John take a supplement to assist with eye healing. Rob, owner of Sunshine Natural Foods in Grants Pass, recommended a special capsule called Vision Optimizer from Jarrow Formulas. John credits the continuing improvement of his eye sight to using Vision Optimizer and highly recommends it to anyone suffering with eye problems.
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His second miraculous procedure was the amazing restoration of normal facial skin color. This began with many laser treatments performed by Dr. Douglas Naversen of Laser Associates. These treatments were very painful and would on occasion swell John’s eyes shut. After 35 sessions, 99% of the black pigment is gone without scarring. The vision in the left eye was preserved due to the careful application of lead eye shield over the corneal transplant. The objective of restoring his appearance with laser surgery was successful.
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| In his book, John describes the events of thirty years which includes the joys of fatherhood, and family, his disappointments with the veteran health system, the ridiculing and the slurs of the general public because of his appearance and his inability to change his situation. Never Give Up became his theme. It is the title of his book and is his motto for life. Many unexpected events led him to the light at the end of the tunnel. That brilliant laser light symbolizes his endearing spirit. In the midst of a sometimes chaotic struggle to achieve normality . .
John never gave up!
John’s holistic approach allows him to live a healthy lifestyle through a daily regime of proper nutrition and herbal formulas to keep his body and mind in balance. He daily takes 400 Mg of vitamin E, 100 mg. flax oil, Saw Palmetto, Ginseng, 1000 mg C with rosehips, and the Vision Optimizer. Now John is sharing his experience in how to find and utilize the right treatments and the right combination of vitamins and herbal formulas to assist in healing. His common sense approach to living is an inspiration to all who know him. Today he has another goal. That goal is to help others who have not yet found the light. John has dedicated his new sighted life in the service to those who may not know where to turn. |
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He is the National Spokes
Person for the Coalition for Tissue Donation, and is also a member and participating volunteer for the Grants Pass Lions Club.
John is generously donating a portion of the proceeds from his book to the Oregon Lions Sight & Hearing Foundation. Proceeds will help provide services and research opportunities which benefit the sight and hearing impaired of Oregon and beyond. John’s willingness to share his story about his experience with the military will guide others on the path to healing. Diligence is rewarded... |
John’s wise advice is... NEVER GIVE UP!
Read John’s entire story, his book is listed in
our book rack on page 18. |
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