Orfilio Orestes Peláez Molina

===BODY===
He was born in Magarabomba (current town of the same name, belonging to the municipality of Céspedes in the province of Camagüey), Cuba.

Coming from a rural area, from childhood and without any pressure from the family's economic situation, his father taught him to cut and harvest sugarcane, plow the earth, milk cows, but above all, to be honest and sincere, to never break his word, to know that the only way to earn a living is through dignified work.

He never forgot those lessons and despite becoming a personality in the scientific world over time, he never ceased to be that frank, approachable and simple individual remembered by those who knew him.

In 1939 he entered the Institute of Secondary Education in Camagüey where he was president of the Student Association, in 1944 he enters the University of Havana to pursue a degree in Medicine.

He had to demonstrate unwavering determination in the face of family opposition, material needs and discouraging opinions from other physicians, regarding his decision to study Medicine, and finally specialize in Ophthalmology.

He obtained his degree on July 30, 1951 and although he wrote his graduation thesis in Legal Medicine, the death of a close friend who was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and would go blind, determined that ophthalmology would be his definitive path, and within it, working tirelessly to find some way to treat it.

Later he worked at Acción Médica Clinic, at the League Against Blindness (current "Ramón Pando Ferrer" Ophthalmological Hospital), and in the Neuro-ophthalmology Service of "Calixto García" Hospital. He achieved the ranks of Specialist of Second Grade in Ophthalmology and Doctor of Medical Sciences. He received training in Keratoplasty, Ocular Microsurgery and Traumatology during the years 1968-1970, in Spain and the U.S.S.R., the latter country where he was a fellow of the Krasnov and Fiodorov Institutes.

Eminent and prestigious scientist, internationally known as the creator of a new treatment for Retinitis Pigmentosa. Doctor of Medical Sciences, Associate Professor, Specialist of 2nd degree in Ophthalmology. Director of the National Program for Retinitis Pigmentosa and of the International Center for Retinitis Pigmentosa "Camilo Cienfuegos".

Active national and international scientific work: congresses, symposiums, forums, research, and clinical trials, tutoring and advising theses for aspiring specialists. Honorary Member of the Academy of Sciences of Cuba; corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences of Mexico, member of the World Society of Ergophthalmology, of the Spanish Society of Ergophthalmology and of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) U.S.A.

He was recognized with awards, decorations and distinctions, among them, decoration and medal "Dr. Carlos J. Finlay" for his contributions to Cuban medicine. He has an extensive record of publications on the specialty.

Brilliant ophthalmologist who discovered effective methods to combat retinitis pigmentosa or night blindness. Creator of the International Center responsible for combating this visual disorder.

In 1987 he performed the first successful surgical interventions. The procedure comprises the introduction, in the subsscleral space of vascular tissue from the retro-orbital area, from the patient himself, for the revitalization of retinal photoreceptor cells. Dr. Peláez also combined said surgical procedure with the intravenous application of ozone and vitamin supplements, as well as electromagnetic therapy. He recognized the importance of early diagnosis of the condition, which makes possible an improvement of up to 90% of cases.

Another of his scientific contributions to Cuban medicine was the study on the "tattoo sign", in the localization of magnetic intraocular foreign bodies. Among his main investigations were: the epidemiology of ocular trauma; the epidemiology and clinical trials in the treatment of hemorrhagic conjunctivitis in Cuba; eye burns and caustic injuries.

In relation to retinitis pigmentosa, he conducted epidemiological, hereditary-familial and clinical and ophthalmological characteristic studies in Cuban children, adults and the elderly. He also performed surgical experiments on laboratory animals, in scientific institutions in Cuba and Sweden.

Publications
He contributed a large number of publications on his specialty, in national and international journals. His book Retinitis Pigmentosa. Cuban Experience, where he presented the results of years of fighting this hereditary disorder, was awarded by Specialized Criticism in January 1999, and holds a relevant place in the bibliography for the study of the subject. The presentation of his achievements extended to various national and international events, among which stand out the World Congresses of Ophthalmology, ARVO International Meetings and the First and Second International Symposiums on Retinitis Pigmentosa, the last of which he chaired. It would be precisely in the international arena, where against criticism laden with political intentions, Dr. Peláez would oppose the contribution of his results.

In the field of teaching he obtained the rank of Associate Professor of Ophthalmology, at the Higher Institute of Medical Sciences in Havana, where he also served as Consulting Professor, and came to occupy the Vice Dean of Research and Postgraduate Studies of the "Salvador Allende" School of Medicine of the Higher Institute of Medical Sciences of Havana, between 1980 and 1990. As a complement to his research activities, he contributed to the training of new ophthalmology specialists, and taught numerous courses and trainings.

He gave lectures in various countries, including: the United States, Colombia, Portugal, Spain and Italy. He was Director of the National Program for Retinitis Pigmentosa and of the International Center for Retinitis Pigmentosa "Camilo Cienfuegos", as well as President of the Cuban Society of Retinitis Pigmentosa, from its founding until his death. He chaired the Cuban Society of Ophthalmology, between the years 1961 and 1975. He directed the "Ramón Pando Ferrer" Ophthalmological Hospital (1961-1969) and the Ophthalmology Service of "Salvador Allende" Hospital (1970-1980). Among his multiple activities, was the direction of the Cuban Journal of Ophthalmology, where a good part of his achievements in the specialty were published.

Merits
He received the distinction of Member of Merit of the Academy of Sciences of Cuba, in 1998, and that of Honorary Member of the College of Opticians of the School of Medicine of San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 1997. He was part of several international scientific organizations, among which are: the Academy of Sciences of Mexico, the World Society of Ergophthalmology, the Spanish Society of Ergophthalmology and the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) of the United States.

He was recognized with numerous distinctions, among which are: the decoration and medal "Dr. Carlos J. Finlay", for his contribution to Cuban medicine; the Medal of the Academy of Sciences of Sofia, Bulgaria (1993), in recognition of Scientific Merit; and the Vision Prize in California, United States (1994), for having dedicated 40 years to the study and research of Retinitis Pigmentosa. Likewise, he received on three occasions the Trophy for Quality in Medical Services, in the cities of Madrid and New York, during the years 1995-1997.

In the national political arena, he served as deputy to the National Assembly of People's Power, and was distinguished as a National Hero of Labor of the Republic of Cuba, as well as National Vanguard of the Union of Health Workers, for more than fifteen years.

After years of intense research his work was recognized worldwide.

When addressing young scientists, he expressed that the most important thing is to maintain constant self-improvement and not diminish the spirit of fighting against difficulties. "It's worth it, because alleviating human suffering compensates for any sacrifice."

Sensitive and persevering, Dr. Orfilio Peláez Molina dedicated more than 40 years to the study of retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative hereditary condition of the retina, causing blindness, whose symptoms are poor night vision, problems adapting to changes in lighting, and the progressive reduction of visual field and acuity. It can appear associated with different genetic disorders that cause mental retardation, deafness, congenital heart disease, renal insufficiency and endocrine problems.

With fortitude he endured the skepticism of some colleagues, indifference, or lack of ethics; but he pressed on, never wavering in his determination, accompanied by his wife Mariadela, companion through exhausting days both in consultation and in the operating room.

Finally, in the second half of the 80s of the last century, he perfected a comprehensive scheme for treating the disease with the objective of halting its progress, which included the design of an innovative surgical technique.

His greatest reward was the creation of the National Program for Retinitis Pigmentosa, from which later emerged a network of provincial centers, which makes possible until today the specialized multidisciplinary care, required by these disabled patients and their families.

The application of the therapeutic procedure managed to halt the progress of the disease in approximately 70% of the cases treated, and an improvement in vision in 16% of them.

Given the demand that the Cuban method began to have abroad, in June 1992 the International Center for Retinitis Pigmentosa Camilo Cienfuegos was created, where in these 18 years 11,429 patients from 104 countries received medical care.

His students called him "the Prof". He was a Doctor of Medical Sciences, Consulting and Associate Professor of the Higher Institute of Medical Sciences of Havana, Specialist of Second Grade in Ophthalmology.

He was worthy of numerous recognitions, among them that of Hero of Labor of the Republic of Cuba, the Carlos Juan Finlay Order and the Vision Prize, granted in the city of Los Angeles, California, in 1994, in addition to being a Member of Merit of the Academy of Sciences of Cuba and of other similar institutions in several countries.

In full intellectual capacity, at the age of 77, Dr. Orfilio Peláez Molina ceased to exist, on January 17, 2001, victim of a cerebral infarction. His death constituted a significant loss, but his legacy lives on in each patient who saw his disease halted or improved, and in the specialists who learned at his side the art of multiplying miracles.