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Why Do You Call It A Prosthetic Eye?

There are many phrases that we grow up with that just are what they are. Until having a child that needs a prosthetic eye, I had always called them glass eyes. I got this from my granny recounting stories of a family member who had a glass eye. Literally, it was made of glass as this was in the early 1900’s. It just is a phrase that is used without thought because that is what they were once made of. Now, I have been asked to think twice before I speak.


I recently received an email from a young woman in Korea. This was not the typical email I receive through my blog or social media accounts. She was not a parent trying to find information on her child’s health conditions. This young woman was diagnosed with microphthalmia as an infant. She was asking me why there were so many terms for a prosthetic eye. Especially when those terms can make someone with one feel like their condition is not being fully recognized. She said that she specifically was searching with the term: prosthetic eye. That is how she happened across the blog. She was thankful to be able to find a place to go where the terminology for her prosthetic did not discourage her.

Sometimes, I do not think that we realize that the sensitivity of a word, a phrase can make someone feel discounted or less than. The phrases: glass eye, artificial eye, and fake eye…these are terms that could be associated with doll parts… or a prosthetic eye for a person.

She was asking why, in the English language, we had so many names for a prosthetic eye. She felt, growing up, that her medical condition was not taken seriously due to the phrasing of the one thing that helped her eye orbit grow properly. This amazing item that helped her on her journey through life. Had it been a replacement for any other body part of limb, it would automatically be called a prosthetic. However, she is right. It commonly is not called what it truly is.

Never again will I utter any another word to describe this amazing part of my daughter. As a community, we must lead the way to change the verbiage for the prosthesis that our children need.

Tell us what phrase you use and why in the comments below!

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