04/06/2022
This past week, my daughter and I spent a week with a group of volunteers at a medical eyecare and dental clinic in Mexico. The Guerrero Surgery and Education Center provides free eyecare, dental care, cleft palate surgeries and eyeglasses to the underserved and poorest populations in Mexico. The patients brought into the clinic are those who do not have the means to afford or find care for themselves: the elderly, young orphans, Taramuhara Indians, and Mennonites. By the end of the week, the clinic performed over 250 surgeries (cataract, pterygium and retina), many dental procedures, and provided hundreds of free prescription eyeglasses. All of the medical supplies, equipment, medications, time and funds to run the clinic are 100% donated, and the results of the surgeries are life-changing for these patients.
There are many stories from the week, but one I learned about from a fellow volunteer was of a 35 year old mother of three young children. She was completely blind from cataracts in both eyes and had never been able to see her children. When the patch was removed from the eye that had cataract surgery, she saw her children for the first time and cried with tears of joy, as did all of the volunteers in the room with her.
Being able to volunteer at this clinic has been the highlight of my career as an optometrist. It is such a beautiful, meaningful and humbling experience and reminds me that no matter where we live or who we are, we are much more alike than we are different. I want to give a sincere thank our patients who brought in glasses for donation over the past few years. They go towards a great cause, and for many patients it would be their very first pair of eyeglasses. A small act of kindness and being able to give back can be life-changing.
