John Malkow was a young Army medic when a lab explosion left him blind and disfigured. The blast did not destroy his determination to live his life, or his hope of seeing his children. Thirty-one years later he heard the words, "I think I can help you." After a corral transplant gave him the miracle of sight, facial treatments started him on the path to healing.

1. Dr. Naversen,
a Medford
dermatologist,
shared John’s
story with me.

2. John Malkow
was a young
army medic
nurse when
the explosion
occurred.
He and Anita
had just
married.

3. While working
in an army
pharmacy,
John was
stirring
together two
chemicals, as a
favor, when
the mixture
exploded in his
face.

4. 67 windows were blown out.
A three-foot hole was blown out of the ceiling.
John’s fingers were mangled, and his right thumb was torn off.

5. John was
20 years
old at the
time of the
explosion.
September
16, 1968

6. The blast
blinded him in
both eyes.
John’s right
eye was
destroyed. His
left eye,
remained, but
could not be
repaired.

7. His daughter,
Heidi, was
born two
weeks after
the explosion.

8. It took several
months for his
face to darken
from the
chemical
blast.
His shirt was
burned onto
his chest.

9. The chemicals
were similar to
photo chemicals
(silver nitrate)
that darkened
with exposure to
sunlight.
Wood splinters
and derbis were
imbedded in his
remaining eye.

10. Blind for the
next 30 years,
John did not
see the faces
of his two girls
as they grew.
He did not
realize the
extent of his
facial
disfiguration.

11. A cop in Grants
Pass once told
him to go home
and “wash your
face, before
coming out in
public.”

12. John was
once asked in
a restaurant if
he was
heading out
for
Halloween?

13. The blast did not
destroy his
determination to
live his life, or his
hope of seeing his
two daughters one
day.

14. John and Anita
and the two
girls moved to
Southern
Oregon where
John learned
to farm, build,
cut firewood,
and to be a
father.

15. For nearly 30 years John farmed along the Rogue River. He
raised hay and pigs and cows. He fixed fences, grew a
garden, repaired his tractor, cut firewood with a chainsaw,
and built pens and barns. All while being blind!

16. He struggled
with
blindness and
disfigurement
for 31 years
until he finally
heard the
words, “I
think I can
help you.”

17. John struggled with blindness and disfigurement for 31 years until
he heard the words, “I think I can help you.”

18. “I think I can help you.” A cornea transplant offered the miracle
of sight. Facial treatments started his path to healing.

19. John’s new
cornea was
donated by
the family of a
33 year-old
man. Flown in
by airplane to
Eugene.

20. A splinter of
wood was
found stuck
in John’s
lens.

22. John told Dr. You, “There simply are not words in any language
to express my thanks for what you have done for me.”

24. The family wanted to hide
mirrors from John so he
could not see his facial
deformity, but eventually
what he saw shocked him.

25. “I remembered myself as I looked before the
explosion. Nearly 31 years later I was shocked to see
the old man looking back at me from the mirror.”

26. John was
referred to
Dr. Doug
Naversen,
Medford
skin doctor,
who said….

27. Dr. Naversen told
John, “We can take
this off your face
and when I am done
with you, you will
look like a movie
star!”

30. Dr. Naversen and his staff gave John 33 laser
treatments on his face over a two-year period.

33. “We can take this
off your face and
when I am done
with you, you will
look like a movie
star!”

34. John speaking of Dr.
Naversen: This caring
physician had
worked with injuries
and birthmarks and
other kinds of
disfigurements and
was very sensitive to
people’s feelings,
knowing these
feelings went right to
a person’s very soul.

35. John had lived blind and disfigured for over 30
years. He has recoved his handsome face after 33
laser treatments by Dr. Naversen.

36. “No one knew what a handsome man John was under those layers of
black gunk, that looked like gunpowder. He is a good guy, he sold his
farm in Murphy, and is traveling and seeing the world after all these
wasted decades! Yeah!” Dr. Naversen - 2019

37. Dr. Naversen has
written about John in
his book.

38. And John
Malkow has
written a
book about
his 33 year
journey to
gain his
sight. .

39. This
poster
inspired
the title
of John’s
book.