A mother's legacy: Supporting vision research
Each time they enter the UCI Health Gavin Herbert Eye Institute in Irvine, Renee and Peter Horner think about Renee’s parents, Anne and William Brownstein.
It’s not just that the nurses often share fond memories of Anne Brownstein, but also because couple’s names grace the donor wall in the lobby.
The Brownsteins, who were among the eye Institute’s earliest supporters, have left behind a family legacy of the power of hard work, the importance of caring for your vision and the joy of giving back.
Entrepreneurs who opened McDonald’s franchises across Southern California, the Brownsteins were proud of how each location served as an economic engine for the community. They celebrated alongside employees whose children would go on to earn college degrees and land high-paying jobs.
After the Horners and Renee’s siblings took charge of the family business, they watched age-related macular degeneration slowly chip away at their mother’s sight and her independence.
“My mother used to say losing her vision took her life away,” Renee Horner recalls. “If you can’t see, how do you take a shower, eat or get around?”
A friend’s recommendation
For years, Horner drove her mom to ophthalmologists in Los Angeles as her eyesight gradually declined. But after one especially long day that required two trips to the clinic and an exhausting rush-hour commute, she started looking for a doctor closer to home. A friend recommended Dr. Baruch Kuppermann at UCI Health. The entire family liked him immediately.
“Dr. Kuppermann is wonderful, very personable and charismatic — just like my father,” Horner says. “After seeing what good care my mom was receiving, I switched to ophthalmologists at UC Irvine, too.”
Horner has keratoconus, a progressive thinning of the cornea that can cause blurry vision and halos around lights. She receives regular care from cornea specialist Dr. Marjan Farid. Meanwhile, her husband sees Dr. Lilangi Ediriwickrema for periodic testing to ensure that his type 2 diabetes doesn’t lead to vision problems.
“People don’t fully appreciate how important it is to have regular eye exams, especially as you get older, because eyes can tell you so much about your health,” Renee Horner says. “I learned from my parents how important eyes are. Now I try to encourage my friends to get their eyes examined at least once a year.”
Giving back like mom
Renee and Peter Horner stand beside her
parents' names on the Gavin Herbert Eye
Institute's donor wall in Irvine.
“Seeing the phenomenal scientists, doctors and professors they’ve hired — and the research and treatments they’ve helped develop over the years — is just remarkable,” says Peter Horner. “If you need anything related to your eyes, and you’re anywhere in Southern California or the West Coast even, the Gavin Herbert Eye Institute is the place to be.”
He adds: “We are so thoroughly impressed with everything we see that they’re doing. It gives us a lot of hope for the future of medicine.”
Today, the Horners continue to support UC Irvine. They have given generously to the eye institute, as well as the Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center and the Center for Autism & Neurodevelopmental Disorders.
“Through our family, we’ve had certain experiences and gotten to know certain people who have impressed us,” Renee Horner says. “There is so much wonderful research being done at UC Irvine that is helping so many people. It feels good to be able to be a part of it.”
To learn more or to schedule an appointment, call 949-824-2020.