Dr. Fallas
our stories
PHOTO: PICTURE THIS STUDIO
By John Hitchcock
DR. HUMBERTO FALLAS
left his home in Costa Rica in 1990, at the age of seventeen, to live as an exchange student in Houston, Texas and returned a year later with an Irish accent. “I came to the United States to become acquainted with American culture and ended up being exposed to Irish culture at the same time”, Dr. Humberto “Peto” Fallas explains. His exchange family had just moved to the United States from Ireland and he spent his first year in the States living with them. He moved back to Costa Rica after he completed his year as an exchange student and attended the University of Costa Rica for one semester before deciding to apply at universities in the United States. “My first choice was the University of Washington in Seattle. It just wasn’t possible to attend because of the expenses.” said Dr. Fallas. He applied to and, eventually, attended University of South Dakota. He played soccer for four years at the
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University of South Dakota before, due to Title Nine, the men’s soccer team was disbanded and a women’s soccer team was established. While at the University he decided to become an ophthalmologist when his dad lost 30% of his vision in one eye. What had been diagnosed as glaucoma was, in fact a small stroke at the back of his eye. After completing his doctorate in Florida he moved to Georgia to be close to his newly married sister. He accepted a job in the Stockbridge area in 2002 and has been in the Henry County area ever since. Dr. Fallas established his practice, The Fallas Family Eye Clinic, in 2007. Dr. Fallas has a quote by Booker T. Washington that, he feels, sums up his life – “Success is to be measured not by the position that one has reached in life, but by the obstacles which he has overcome.” “I wouldn’t change my life for anything. Nothing in my life has come easy.
I’ve had to work hard for everything I have and I don’t regret any of it.” states Fallas. His experiences have taught him to appreciate what he now has and to see each patient for who they are. “No matter a persons age, culture or religion I always try to learn something from everyone I meet. I treat each person with respect because everyone brings something different to the table.” explains Fallas. Dr. Fallas is married to his wife Elizabeth and has two sons, Max and Noah, with another child on the way. He loves coaching soccer and has worked as a coach with Henry County and Community Christian School. He also loves playing the guitar but doesn’t tell many people because “they’ll start requesting songs and I’m not that far along – yet.” For more information on Dr. Fallas and the Fallas Family Eye clinic you can visit their website at www.fallasvision.com.