Though the scare was a false one, the experience moved Berne to design a piece of art unlike any other. By hand-beveling hundreds of individual pieces and using decades-old machines rarely seen, Berne created the one-of-a-kind "Mirror of Hope," honoring those who battle breast cancer.

Berne could have returned to his successful career, but his altruistic nature had come alive. His second custom mirror can be traced to his work as a team leader for the local Red Cross, where he became inspired by the humanitarianism of that organization’s volunteers. He spent 1,000 hours creating "The Mirror of Humanity" for the American Red Cross to use as a fundraising tool — and even now Berne is engaged in a similar endeavor for the Autism Project of Palm Beach County.

"I want to make uniquely different pieces for groups that have affected people’s lives, somehow, somewhere," says the New Jersey native. When he first became interested in working with glass — at age 15 — Berne could not have foreseen the path he would travel in his artistic quest. Only today, with his brilliant, gleaming mirror art, can one begin to see that promise fulfilled.