Heroes of Orbis: Dr. Donny Suh

His journey into eye care began at home while his mom struggled with chronic eye infections and vision problems. Watching her deal with those challenges helped him understand how deeply eye disease can affect someone’s daily life. 

That experience made him appreciate how powerful vision care can be, shaping his desire to help others preserve or regain their sight. Dr. Suh first discovered Orbis as a medical student at Baylor College of Medicine and was deeply moved by the idea that doctors could travel the world teaching and restoring sight.

“Being able to now participate in that mission,” he says, “feels like coming full circle.”

Dr. Suh has dedicated his skills and expertise to numerous Flying Eye Hospital projects, and local hospital-based training programs over the last few decades. 

According to Dr. Suh, meeting the patients is always powerful, but one of the most meaningful aspects is building relationships with local physicians, residents, nurses, and medical students. He says it's one of his favorite parts of Orbis. 

“Every mission feels a little magical. The aircraft is not just a hospital—it’s a flying classroom where doctors from around the world come together to learn, teach, and collaborate. There’s something incredibly inspiring about knowing that inside that plane, lives are literally being changed,” he says. 

Working side-by-side with them, sharing knowledge, and learning from each other creates lasting friendships and professional partnerships that continue long after the mission ends. After a project ends, collaboration continues long after through email, research projects, and ongoing mentorship. It becomes a global community of eye care professionals supporting each other. Dr. Suh appreciates the privileged position that comes with being an experienced doctor. 

But he stresses that it's never just a one-way street and that he often learns even more than he teaches. 

He told us: “It’s been a tremendous experience for me because I actually have a chance – an opportunity – to give back. But also, at the same time, I receive far more than I give. From the medical perspective, I learn so much more because there are a lot of pathologies that we’d never get to see in the United States that I get to see while on these teaching missions. From a medical standpoint, I learn tremendously.”


Images: Dr. Donny Suh helping improve the skills of local physicians.

One heartwarming moment that stands out for him took place on the 2025 training program in Vietnam where he met a young boy—about two or three years old—with severe congenital esotropia. His parents had traveled a long distance hoping someone could help him. 

After his surgery with the local physicians, he woke up with the brightest smile and began giving everyone big hugs. 

“It was such a joyful moment. His parents were incredibly grateful and told us they felt he was already more coordinated and able to focus better. Moments like that remind you why this work matters so much.” 

He even says that some patients stay in touch through social media. For him, seeing how their lives have improved after treatment is incredibly encouraging. 

“Those messages often arrive at the perfect time—especially on difficult days—and they remind me why this work is so important. They truly inspire me to keep moving forward,” he adds.


Images: Dr. Suh meeting patients through the years.

Despite his busy schedule, Dr. Suh found time to write a book titled Catching a Star. Published in January 2020, it follows his journey to becoming a physician, his remarkable medical experiences and touching patient stories. 

Dr. Suh generously donated all proceeds from his book to the treatment and prevention of avoidable blindness.

In 2020, Dr. Suh fundraised for Orbis with this hilarious dance routine with his talented family reaching their $3000 goal in two weeks!

As an expert in pediatric ophthalmology, Dr. Suh understands more than most why eye care for children and young people is so pivotal: 

“It is thought that about 80% of your development hinges on vision – so without vision it is actually hard for someone to even walk or ambulate. And for a young person, it’s difficult to communicate without eye contact. Giving someone sight or curing their blindness is not simply restoring their sight. It’s far more important than that – it’s actually giving them hope. And that’s what Orbis is about. It’s about giving people hope. I feel extremely blessed and am compelled to give back.” 

Thank you Dr. Suh for sharing your expertise with doctors around the world. Your dedication to medical education will help communities gain access to life changing treatment for generations to come! 

We are proud to have you as part of our team.