Published June 23, 2007
[ From Lansing State Journal ]
Schneider: Dog that had cataract surgery is now keen-sighted angelDEWITT - Two years of keen eyesight, the devotion of a family, then doggy heaven. It's not such a bad deal for a 12-year-old golden retriever. Sandy, the DeWitt dog who's cataract surgery was well documented here in June 2005, died of cancer earlier this week.
Among her survivors is 10-year-old Samantha "Sammy" Williams of DeWitt, who said she's pretty sure Sandy is now sharing a pot roast with her son, Bear, who preceded Sandy in death. My involvement in the story of Sandy's eye surgery began in May 2005, when Sammy set up a lemonade stand to raise the money it would take to restore the eyesight of her dog, who was quickly going blind. Sammy, born in China, was adopted as an infant by Mary Anne and Derek Williams of DeWitt. Later, the Williamses executed a second adoption - a mother-son pair of golden retrievers - from the Capital Area Humane Society. Sandy, the female, developed serious eye problems. Under the knife Among those touched by Sammy's efforts to restore Sandy's vision was Williamston veterinarian David Ramsey, who runs the Animal Ophthalmology Center on West Grand River Avenue. Free of charge, Ramsey performed the cataract surgery on Sandy. In an operation nearly identical to the one performed on humans, Ramsey cut away clouded tissue in Sandy's eyes and replaced it with artificial intraocular lenses. For her last two years, Sandy had a new view of the world and the people who loved her. |
Published June 24, 2005
 (ROD SANFORD/Lansing State Journal) All better now: Sammy Williams, 8, and her mom, Mary Anne, snuggle with Sandy the golden retriever as Sandy wakes up after cataract surgery. Dr. David Ramsey performed the surgery free Thursday after reading about Sammy's numerous efforts to raise money for the operation. |
|
Photo Gallery: |
WILLIAMSTON - As Sandy surrendered to the anesthetic, the golden retriever's agent and No. 1 fan, 8-year-old Samantha "Sammy" Williams, speculated on the nature of the dog's dreams:
"A world where everything she sees, she can eat,"
While that particular world is likely to remain a dream, the 10-year-old golden retriever's life is about to improve dramatically, thanks to Sammy and the Williamston veterinarian touched by the story of a girl and her dog.
At David Ramsey's Animal Ophthalmology Center on West Grand River Avenue, Sandy underwent cataract surgery Thursday. The operation is expected to leave the dog with a whole new view of the world.
I wrote the first chapter of the Sammy-Sandy story May 24, after Sammy, via a lemonade stand and a garage sale, launched her mission to raise money for the operation that would restore Sandy's eyesight.
Sammy was born in China and adopted as an infant by Mary Anne and Derek Williams of DeWitt.
About two years ago, the Williamses engaged in a second adoption - a package deal that involved two golden retrievers, a mother-son pair lodged at the Capital Area Humane Society.
It was the mother that started going blind.
For some reason - maybe people were fed up with Michael Jackson and runaway brides - a neighborhood story sparked national interest.
After Sammy's story hit the Internet, her parents got a call from producers of the Ellen DeGeneres daytime talk show. They wanted to fly Sammy and Sandy to Los Angeles.
Speaking for both Sandy and herself, Sammy, whose entrepreneurship has a shy streak, declined.
But that didn't stop readers in various parts of the country from e-mailing me offers of financial assistance for Sandy.
Despite the fact that Sammy never asked for donations through my columns, people seemed determined to contribute.
Meanwhile, Ramsey offered to do the operation free, explaining the gesture this way:
"Your columns hit me square in the heart. Simply put, Sammy has a very good cause and a warm heart."
The Williams family was surprised and gratified by the reaction.
Said Mary Anne Williams: "We're overwhelmed by what's happened and by how good people are. From a little feel-good story, all of this ..."
The operation took less than an hour; the recovery will take one to two weeks.
In a procedure virtually identical to the one performed on humans, Ramsey cut away clouded tissue in Sandy's eye and replaced it with an artificial intraocular lens.
Ramsey worked in an operating room equipped much like those in human hospitals, complete with a beeping heart monitor, a video screen, a tangle of tubes and wires.
With Sandy in la-la land, sprawled on her back on the operating table, Ramsey reached for his scalpel.
"See the cataract in there?" Ramsey said to Sammy, who peered over his shoulder.
"Cool," she replied.
Beneath her personalized vet's smock, created for the occasion by Ramsey's staff, Sammy wore camouflage shorts and a red T-shirt that said, "I didn't do it."
But, in fact, she did.
What do you think? Call John Schneider at 377-1175, send a fax to 377-1298.
 (Courtesy photo) Creative entrepreneur: Samantha "Sammy" Williams, 7, creatively marketed her lemonade and other items at a garage sale in DeWitt and raised $253.64 - for her dog. |
Take that incident three years ago when Samantha "Sammy" Williams was 4 and her lemonade stand was dying.
The problem wasn't the product; the problem was the delivery system. Foot traffic in Sammy's DeWitt subdivision in the middle of the afternoon provided the kind of customer base upon which an entrepreneur could quickly perish.
Sammy sized up the situation, loaded her wagon and went door to door. She cleaned up.
Thus, a motto was born. "If the people won't come to the lemonade, bring the lemonade to the people."
Now 7, Sammy has moved on to bigger things. Over the weekend, she parlayed her signature lemonade stand, a neighborhood-wide yard sale and a little tug on the public heartstrings into $253.64.
And lest it be said that profits are Sammy's only love, every penny will go toward an operation for her golden retriever, Sandy.
A little background: Born in China, Sammy lives in DeWitt's Heritage Glen subdivision with her parents, Mary Anne and Derek Williams, who adopted her when she was an infant.
Double-dog dare
About two years ago, the Williamses completed a second adoption - a package deal that involved two golden retrievers, a mother and son lodged at the Capital Area Humane Society.
The mother, Sandy, is nearly blind from cataracts. An operation to restore her sight will cost $1,600.
The Williamses plan to proceed with the operation, and Sammy, who adores Sandy (and animals in general), is determined to do her part.
Sammy gathered her previously owned clothes, her slightly used toys, and, yes, even her beloved stuffed animal collection. She set up a booth at the subdivision-wide sale. She also sold lemonade.
But the true stroke of genius was the fundraiser - a bowl beside a photo of a plaintive-looking Sandy, and a sign that said, "Please help me."
Sammy's parents told me Monday that they were proud of their daughter's ingenuity and generosity. However, Sammy declined comment.
"She's too shy," her father said.
Or maybe too preoccupied with her next business venture.
It was the Ellen DeGeneres people. They wanted Sammy on the daytime talk show, Sammy's golden retriever, Sandy, too. All expenses paid.
Speaking for both Sandy and herself, Sammy declined.
"She's very shy," said Sammy's mother, Mary Anne Williams, who admitted that she wouldn't have minded a little trip to California as chaperone.
Or maybe Sammy is holding out for a better deal - a book tour, maybe, after she writes, "A Pre-pre-Teenager's Guide to Creative Philanthropy."
In Tuesday's column, I wrote about Sammy's multi-faceted weekend fundraiser, which netted $253.64. The money will help finance cataract surgery for the family's 10-year-old blind golden retriever, Sandy. The operation is expected to cost about $1,600.
Sammy was born in China, but now lives in DeWitt's Heritage Glenn subdivision with her parents, Mary Anne and Derek Williams, who adopted her when she was an infant. Sandy also was adopted - from the Capital Area Humane Society.
Cashing in
Recognizing opportunity in a neighborhood-wide garage sale last weekend, Sammy assembled her outgrown clothes, her obsolete toys - even her prized stuffed animals - and offered them for sale.
She added a lemonade stand and a tweak of the heartstrings - a donation bowl beside a photo of Sandy, looking especially adorable, and a sign that said, "Please help me."
As it turns out, Sammy's success went far beyond the $253.64 - into the international "Awwwwww-o-sphere."
Every journalist understands the universal appeal of shaggy-dog stories. This one, however, had particularly sturdy legs. It landed on the Internet, which is apparently how the DeGeneres folks found out about Sammy and Sandy.
That's also why I've been getting e-mails from people all over the country who want to donate to the "Sandy Fund," even though there wasn't one.
For example, George Spatta of Sacramento, Calif., wrote: "Saw your ... story posted up on a hunting-dog site. We are curious how Sammy is doing on her fundraiser for her dog, Sandy.
"Can we help?"
And this, from Rose Fennessy of Omaha, Neb. "I would like to send a contribution to this child for her dog's operation. If I send it to you, will you see that she gets it? Bless her little heart anyway."
Fund set up
In the original column, Sammy never asked for donations. Not explicitly, anyway.
Another stroke of marketing genius?
But local folks also have been looking for a way to help finance Sandy's operation. So, here's an address: "The Sandy Fund," 13426 Specklewood Drive, DeWitt, MI, 48820.
If, by any chance, Sandy gets more money than she needs for her operation, the excess will go to the Capital Area Humane Society, which rescued the golden retriever from homelessness.
Said Mary Anne Williams: "Can you believe that out of the generosity and pure love from a little girl for her dog, all of this is happening?"
Sammy declined to comment.
Published May 28, 2005
David Ramsey, a veterinary ophthalmologist - Did you even know there was such a thing? - will perform Sandy's cataract surgery free of charge.
"Your columns hit me square in the heart," said Ramsey, by way of explaining his generosity. "Simply put, Sammy has a very good cause and a warm heart."
Ramsey's Animal Ophthalmology Center is in Williamston.
In two previous columns (on Tuesday and Thursday) I wrote about Samantha "Sammy" Williams' efforts to raise money for surgery to restore the eyesight of her dog, Sandy.
Sammy was born in China and adopted as an infant by Mary Anne and Derek Williams of DeWitt.
National response
The Sammy-and-Sandy story made a big splash on the Internet. Sammy was invited to fly to Los Angeles for a taping of Ellen DeGeneres' daytime talk show (She declined.).
And even though my original column didn't solicit donations on Sammy's behalf, I heard from readers throughout the country who wanted to help pay for Sandy's operation.
In the subsequent column, the Williams family provided an address for people who seemed determined to contribute.
The initial plan was to divert excess contributions to the Capital Area Humane Society. But Ramsey said he would prefer to see all the donations go there.
In fact, the $253.64 that Sammy raised in a garage sale/lemonade stand last weekend also will go to the society.
Ramsey said Sammy's story appealed to him on a number of levels. After I interviewed Ramsey, he sent me an e-mail that said, in part:
"I was taken by the girl's initiative to raise funds for her dog's surgery. On a more personal level, my wife and I recently adopted a little girl from Korea."
And it didn't hurt, Ramsey said, that Sammy hopes to become a veterinarian someday.
"I am happy that I can lend my effort to help Sammy and her dog," he wrote. "I love my work and do not want any payment for this."
Evaluation first
On June 20, Ramsey will evaluate the golden retriever. Assuming Sandy is a good candidate for cataract surgery, Ramsey will perform the operation soon afterward - possibly the next day.
Sammy will attend the evaluation and will be in the operating room, if it comes to that.
As with humans, artificial intraocular lenses will be implanted in Sandy's eyes after the cataracts are removed. Ramsey said that with good candidates, the success rate is about 98 percent.
But the procedure isn't cheap. The Williamses thought both of Sandy's eyes could be fixed for about $1,600, but Ramsey said the going rate would be closer to $2,700.
Mary Anne Williams said Friday that the reaction to her daughter's story was completely unexpected:
"We're overwhelmed by what's happened and by how good people are. From a little feel-good story, all of this ...."
