"Over a period of 10-15 years — through the (donated) equipment — they’ve saved maybe a thousand eyes. Then, what is the money worth?" – Jerry Colp"
A Lasting Impact
When Jerry Colp came to The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center’s Department of Ophthalmology in 1998, his severe glaucoma was progressing rapidly, and standard treatment wasn’t working. He met with Paul Weber, MD, and his vision was saved through laser surgery.
Colp passed away in 2016, but his legacy lives on within the Department of Ophthalmology. Following his initial surgery, Colp contributed funds for the department to acquire new research and clinical imaging equipment to advance the study of glaucoma and other vision-threatening conditions.
Colp helped the department acquire Stratus optical coherence tomography (OCT), Heidelberg retina tomography (HRT), and Optovue OCT. Each of these machines enhances the probability of detecting subtle changes in the eye suggestive of glaucomatous progression — stopping glaucoma earlier than ever before.
“Just saying ‘thank you’ is not good enough for me,” Colp said. “With this equipment, my hope is that the doctors will be able to save the eyesight of many, many people. That is what it’s all about.”
Colp was also instrumental in acquiring a corneal confocal microscope, which produces in vivo corneal imaging used for the detection and monitoring of infectious and hereditary corneal diseases.
“If over a period of 10-15 years — through the (donated) equipment — they’ve saved maybe a thousand eyes, then what is the money worth?”
Countless patients have benefited and will continue to benefit from Colp’s generosity for years to come.