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Article: Kirby Puckett: on a new mission.(former baseball star crusades against glaucoma)
- Article from:
- Ebony
- Article date:
- October 1, 1997
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1997 Johnson Publishing Co. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Kirby Puckett had no idea that day by day, little by little, he was losing the sight in his right eye. Even with several physical examinations a year, including vision tests, there was no indication that he was slowly becoming partially blind -- forcing, at 35, an abrupt and premature end to a Hall of Fame career.
What Puckett didn't know was that glaucoma, a vicious disease that strikes without warning and disproportionately affects African-Americans, had sneaked upon him like a thief in the night and stole one of his most precious possessions. "Here's a guy who was taking about five physicals a year for the team and to meet the requirements for my personal ...