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The Helen Keller Foundation for Research and Education received the Buckler Award for the film, "Let's Talk About Floaters". Dr. Robert Morris, lead investigator for the Helen Keller Foundation, successfully treated Baxley which lead to his involvement in the film.

"We developed the term Degenerative Vitreous Syndrome, or DVS," said Dr. Morris, "to describe extensive vitreous cloudiness, and we defined it as the spontaneous occurrence in the aging vitreous of opacities that substantially interfere with activities of daily living including reading, driving and other tasks we must regularly accomplish."

Opacities in the lens of the eye are called cataracts. Cataract extraction is highly successful and approximately 3,000,000 such operations are performed annually in the United States alone. Removal of cloudy vitreous behind the lens has been controversial, since such patients can often still see well during moments of clarity, as the vitreous gel moves within the eye. Until now, there has also been no medical terminology to distinguish simple nuisance floaters from extensive vitreous opacities.

Using video footage of vitreous opacities in surgery, paired with patients' descriptions of their debilitating effect on visual function, the Helen Keller researchers showed that the benefit of surgery justified its consideration in the context of improved retinal detachment prevention methods and advances in instrument miniaturization. Just as in cataract surgery, a no- stitch method is now often possible with small instruments.

The Buckler Award is represented by a gold-plated figurine statue holding an image of the retina of the eye, manufactured by R. S. Owens, which also manufacturers the Oscar Award for the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. This is the fourth Buckler award won by the Helen Keller research team in seven years.

For media interviews with John Baxley ("The Colonel
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