NATCHEZ — Vincent “Bull” Washington is one in a million.

Thankfully for Washington, he still has his sight because of it. A detached retina caused by the pressure of competing in tennis tournaments turned Washington’s world dark. Following another competitive run in the Natchez Cancer Tennis Tournament two years ago, Washington went to bed only to wake up visually impaired.

“I slapped myself on the face just to try to make sure,” Washington said.

Washington emergency dialed ophthalmologist Doug Smith, who started running tests with him over the phone. After, Smith confirmed that Washington was indeed one in a million, and the rarity of Washington’s situation had doctors across the state wanting to look at something they’ve heard about and studied, opening their door for an immediate surgery.

“Thank the Lord for that,” Washington said. “(Smith) told me I had 24 hours to go to surgery or I would be blind the rest of my life. So I went by his office, and he had everything set up for a surgery the next day.”

Six surgeries later, Washington, who graduated from North Natchez in 1974 and has played tennis since the sixth grade, can still be found at Duncan Park by the tennis courts. Unfortunately, he’s unable to play competitively and hasn’t participated in the last two cancer tournaments in town. Still, that hasn’t stopped him from coming out and supporting the event.

“He’s always played, and his sister has cancer, and then when he couldn’t play, he would always come and get a t-shirt and buy extra for his family,” said Noreen Pyron, co chair of the event.

Before cancer took a toll on his family, Washington felt the need to participate in cancer tournaments and support the charity, but after sister Debra Washington died five years ago from cancer and sister Glynn Washington recovered from her battle with it, the tournaments gained greater meaning.

“It absolutely touched me,” Washington said. “I won a tournament in McComb a few years back, and when I saw it was a charity for cancer I gave back the $300 I won.”

As a tennis player, Washington has competed in the United States Tennis Association in mixed doubles, and he’s brought home a few victories of his own. In another McComb tournament, Washington was playing in a state tournament, and upset the No. 1 mixed doubles team in Mississippi.

“Henry Harris called me and said, ‘Who did you just beat?’” Washington said. “I said, ‘I don’t know.’ He said, ‘Let me tell you who you just beat. You just beat the No. 1 team in the state that’s won it three years in a row.’”

It wasn’t shortly after Washington lost his vision, and if everything goes according to plan, Washington will have his seventh eye surgery in the next coming weeks. Washington wants to save his vision, and after he does so, he plans to get back on the court and compete again.

“I will,” Washington said. “I’ll be out there again.”