By Ellen Andersen

I had eye problems and for years growing up. I had a low-tech machine to practice exercises a couple times a day, making two images of something into one. It strengthened my eye muscles and after a while I had no problems. I forgot about it for decades.

One day, the double vision came back. I’d recently moved and didn’t have a full-time job yet. But I needed to get my vision fixed. We looked for a local optometrist, and found one who evaluated and diagnosed the problem, but was unable to treat me for it. He suggested some other doctors in the area, but none of them were accepting new patients at the time.

So, we found one out of state who was willing to take me on as a new patient. I saw him for a little over a year, but he didn’t take insurance, so I was left to pay out of my savings.

One day I went to the front desk to pay the bill and the lady took my check. She spent a few minutes behind the window and came back. But, rather than handing me the receipt, she gave me the check back. I looked at her quizzically and she said, “It’s already been paid for.”
“It is? How? I didn’t pay for its last time.”
“No, but it’s already been paid for.”
“I don’t understand.” I said.
“Someone else paid for it” she answered.
“Really? Who paid for it?”
“I can’t tell you” she said
I just looked at her again. It didn’t make any sense. I went back to the waiting room and asked my mom about it. She said she already knew that.
“So, who paid for it?”
“I can’t tell you” she said.
“The lady at the desk said the same thing. Why can’t you tell me?”
“They told me not to tell you,” she said.

We left and went home. I was still confused, but after asking a couple more times, I realized I wasn’t going to find out so I gave up.Fifteen years later, I still don’t know who was so generous to do that for me. I’m very appreciative and don’t know who to thank. I have to trust they know how much it means to me.