From left: Jarrod Johnson, CEO of UAB Callahan Eye; Brian Samuels, M.D., Ph.D., The EyeSight Foundation of Alabama Endowed Chair of Ophthalmology; Barbara Evers, Executive Director of The EyeSight Foundation of Alabama; Jeffery Haddox, founder of Sight Savers America and the 2025 Hall W. Thompson Hero For Sight; Dawn DeCarlo, O.D., Ph.D., President and CEO of Sight Savers AmericaOn June 10, 2025, Sight Savers America (SSA) honored Jeffery L. Haddox as the recipient of the 2025 Hall W. Thompson Hero For Sight Award at UAB Callahan Eye Hospital alongside the installation of this year’s Hero For Sight Tribute Wall art piece.
Each year, SSA commissions an art piece from a visually impaired artist to be displayed alongside the Hall W. Thompson Hero For Sight Award plaque on the tribute wall on the first floor of UAB Callahan Eye Hospital. The hospital has proudly dedicated space for this tribute wall since the inaugural ceremony in 2014.
Founded in 1997, SSA continues to provide children with accessible eye care. The organization currently oversees three programs that provide comprehensive eye care, state-of-the-art vision aids, and in-school vision screenings to 95,000 referrals across 16 states every year. These services are provided at no cost or at a discount to eligible children, ensuring their vision needs are met.
As a partner in SSA’s mission, UAB Callahan Eye takes immense pride in contributing to the cause of enhancing vision health access for children. Alongside SSA, Callahan continues to positively impact the lives of young individuals by standardizing world-class eye care and promoting brighter, healthier futures for all.
“We’re grateful to the hospital and Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences,” said Dawn DeCarlo, O.D., Ph.D., President and CEO of Sight Savers America, “not only for this wall, but for the things you do throughout the year. Whenever a child is in need, you never say no.”
2025 Hall W. Thompson Hero For Sight Award Recipient
Jeffery L. Haddox
Founder, Sight Savers America
Jeffery L. Haddox graduated from the University of Alabama in Huntsville in 1975 with a bachelor’s degree in biology and chemistry, then earned his master’s degree in mycology from Clemson University in 1977.
Haddox began his career in 1978 at UAB Callahan Eye Hospital as a vision scientist, contributing to ophthalmologic research until 2003. From 1982 to 1999, he served as Director of Brookwood Eye Research Laboratories. During this time, he authored and published 41 scientific journals and received five domestic and international patents on revolutionary ophthalmic medications.
In 1977, Haddox founded SSA with the goal of helping children across the country achieve their best possible vision, serving as President and CEO until 2023. His experience and deep ties to ophthalmology were instrumental in establishing SSA as a primary source for children’s comprehensive and follow-up vision services.
2025 Hero For Sight Artist
Ricky Trione
Ricky Trione is a Fairhope, Alabama, native who enjoyed creating realistic drawings with pen and ink until two life-altering accidents left him blind.
In 1993, he lost vision in his left eye while serving as a captain in the Army when a rock was lofted into his vehicle through an open window. Seven years later, Trione was struck by a large piece of tire tread on the interstate, resulting in permanent blindness.
Unable to continue using traditional drawing methods, Trione adapted by incorporating texture into his artwork. With the help of a fellow artist, Trione creates three-dimensional paintings that include thick, textured paints and molding compounds. He finds great joy in visiting schools, hosting art camps and participating in events that offer hope and inspiration.
Click here to read more about the 2025 Hall W. Thompson Hero For Sight Award Recipient and Artist.