He Saw a Hummingbird: How the Tiniest Bird and a Man's Indomitable Spirit Combined to Bring about a Miracle

by Norma Lee Browning

Despite severe diabetes, Russell Ogg was a successful photographer who traveled worldwide with his wife, journalist Norma Lee Browning. He's always been able to cope with anything, but when diabetes began to rob him of his sight, "it was like a violinist losing his fingers."When Norma Lee saw him sitting day after day on the patio of their home in Palm Springs, slumped in despair, his sightless eyes fixed on nothing, she too became depressed. But a miracle was about to happen.Then suddenly a red hummingbird appeared that changed their lives.Norma Lee frankly describes her doubts and the errors she made in identifying the birds her husband tried to photograph. She also concludes, from her close observation of the hummers, that "the experts" are wrong on many counts.But the miracle that provides the heart-warming conclusion to this unusual story involves Russell Ogg's eyesight. His sight improved. His eye doctor said he saw better than it was possible for him to see. "There is no way to explain medically how he does it ... his photographs tell us something about the magnificence of man."His inspiring story is a testament to human courage and hope.

168 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1977

Reviews

[Jeannie Mancini · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a delightful and inspirational true story of the power of persistence and courage from one man who was diagnosed with diabetic retinopathy leading to blindness and how his strength and perseverance led him to the wonders of the world of hummingbirds. His determination to photograph and learn their unusual behavior brought him fame in the photography world and shook the heads of many diabetic and eye specialists who never believed he would accomplish anything with his blindness never mind years of impressive work to chronicle the life and beauty of these precious little spitfire birds!

[TC · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an inspiring small book about a man who is told he is rapidly losing his sight due to severe diabetes. More difficult is that he is a professional photographer accustomed to shoots for movie stars, television personalities, and magazine shoots. He has plenty of business. That changes, however, as his sight deteriorates and his abilites become limited. His wife, a former newspaper editor tells the story of their journey together, and how during his some of his worst moments he briefly sees the flash of the tiny hummingbirds on their backporch, motivating him to try photography again, while she was becoming completely entralled with them and engaged in a full study of hummingbird life and habitat. This is before digital photography became the norm, so it was almost painful to read about he and his thoughtful wife try to figure out how to capture the speed, grace and colors of the bird that fascinated them. I don't want to give away the story, but I will say he became a "real" photographer again.