Patricia Bath

Hello, my name is Patricia Bath. When I was a little girl, I lived in a place called Harlem, in New York City. I loved science. Science is learning all about how things work. One day, I received a chemistry set as a gift, and it was so much fun. Playing with it made me dream of becoming a scientist and helping people.

When I grew up, I decided I wanted to be a doctor. In the 1960s, I was training to be a doctor and I noticed that many people in my community had trouble seeing. I wanted to help everyone have the gift of sight. I went to a special school called Howard University. In the year 1968, I became an eye doctor. An eye doctor helps people take care of their eyes so they can see better.

As an eye doctor, I saw that some people’s eyes got cloudy, which made it very hard for them to see. This problem is called a cataract. I had a bright idea to help. I thought about using a tiny, special light called a laser to gently clear away the cloudiness so people could see again. I worked very hard on my idea, and in the year 1988, my invention was ready. It was called the Laserphaco Probe. I was the first African American woman doctor to receive a special paper, called a patent, for a medical device.

My invention helped people all over the world see the beautiful colors of rainbows and the happy faces of their families. I lived to be 76 years old, and I spent my life helping others. I hope my story shows you that if you have a bright idea, you can help change the world, too.