First day of Clinic.

Good evening all,  Thank you for checking in.   What can I say?  Today is what months of preparations, time away from family and a major financial commitment are all about.  We were able to dramatically touch the lives of over 700 people today.

The team was split in two today to cover as much ground as possible.  One division went to the Mother Theresa school in the morning, and the other spent the entire day at the Theodore S. Kin Hospital location. Setup at the School was a breeze a the majority of team members were veterans.  The clinic was registering children from pre-school to grade 11 within 10 minutes of arrival.  It was an amazing experience as the children were some of the most well behaved and respectful I have ever met.   Within about 4 hours over 360 children and teachers were examined.  For those requiring a pair of glasses, their info was taken and the prescriptions will be made up on wednesday and delivered to the children the following day.

In the hospital location things were a little more hectic as there about 250 people waiting as the team arrived at the hospital entrance.  The setup took slightly longer than the school as a dispensary had to be built.  Not a problem for this team, as the cohesive group put their heads down and accomplished the goal of starting to see patients in a very short time.  The day went very well and the patient flow was a busy yet manageable pace.

Dr. Roma-March had a very interesting lady as a patient.  She was a seamstress but had to give up the profession as she could no longer see and was unable to thread the needle.  It is a terrible thing to say, but she had now become a burden on the already struggling family.  With her income they were able to scratch out a meagar living.   Without the seamstress' income the family was facing severe hardship.   She was so desperate for some help she had brought a thread and needle in to the clinic to facilitate the translation of her dire concern.  Not a problem for Dr. Roma-March and the TWECS Team as hundreds of people with similar problems were seen today as an eye exam and a pair of glasses resolved their problems.  The seamstress said she will return home this evening and return to work after years of an inability to do so.

Now able to thread a needle and provide for her family

The line up for a new pair of glasses 

Brian, excited about his new specs.

- David



Today has been amazing.  It really is hard to find the rights words to explain the overall feeling you get from helping so many people.  So rewarding and exhilarating.  TWECS is first class!  Marina and all the key people are so organized, very well run.  I really feel so fortunate to be here and a part of such a rewarding project.  Great group to be spending this time with.

- Yvonne Ryder

Nov 21, 2011

I was up this morning at 5:15.  I had a very good nights sleep.  Very relaxing listening to the rolling waves.

Had breakfast around 7:00 and left for the hospital around 8:00. When we got there we were a little confused and it took about an hour before things were organized.  The hospital staff were very cooperative and helpful.  There were patients of all ages gathered in the central area of the hospital.  Eventualy I was assigned a room where I was able to set up my examination routines.  I was very fortunate that I had the help of my translator.  His name is Jesus, and he is 17 years old.  I had the false impression that I would be able to manage in Spanish.  I realized how much I need to learn. 

The patients would come to the examination room 3 at a time with a line up outside.  My duties consisted of performing ophthalmoscope, retinoscopy, and writing a script.  

Most patients that I saw were able to correct their vision adequately, however there were a few elderly patients that I could not help out, due to the fact that they had advanced cataracts. 

All patients that I saw were very appreciative, polite, and well behaved. 

I am looking forward to tomorrow with great enthusiasm.

- Jacques Gagne