Mission trip to Guatemala 2006

I have recently participated in an eye mission trip to Guatemala with I Care International. I was fortunate to have my wife, Sharon, joined me on this trip. Since my return, I have had an opportunity to reflect on my journey and experiences there.

I felt and continue to feel that it was a privilege to have this opportunity to utilize my skills as an optometrist, to be part of a team effort, and to be able to improve the quality of life of others without any exchange of monies. The compensation is "only" an inner gratification of performing this service and allowing the "Thank You" to come, uninvited, from those we have helped.

Our trip involved a long plane ride to our destination and considerable financial expense but the experience was priceless. In the evening, after a day of long hours of clinic, over a cold beverage, we share stories of unbelievable bad fortune of the human condition that we have just witnessed as well as the heart warming interactions we have had with our patients. Always there is some experience which sends the whole group into unabashed laughter. Our team consisted of 4 experienced Optometrists, 2 optometry students, and 21 non professional persons who, though not trained in eye issues, were vital contributors to our overall effort. The patients would often stand outside the clinic building for several hours before we began the process. When it was their turn, the patients would register, give their eye complaints and brief medical history, then go to an acuity station. From there, they would be scanned by an "auto refractor" and then would be directed to one of us "docs". Most of the patients received eyeglasses of some sort to correct their vision problems. In addition, artificial tears, anti-histamine and anti-biotic drops, and, in some cases, eye drops to lower eye pressure in those who were diagnosed to have glaucoma were administered along with information and education about their eye problems and solutions to those problems. We were examining upwards of 400-500 patients a day, and there was a significant amount of eye pathology in this underserved and poor population. We were able to dilate their eyes, check eye pressure, and if needed, direct them to a local surgical clinic where free cataract surgery was performed and complex medical problems could be addressed and treated at no charge to the patients or their families.

Life is hard, really difficult, for most of the individuals who came to our clinic. No social security checks in the mail here, only much hard work. For instance, the 75 year old man who, hoping to make a bit of money to buy his food and pay some bills, was pushing a small ice cream cart up and down the steep hills. Most of the people who came to our clinic had never visited an eye doctor or had the money to buy glasses. Though very proud, family-oriented and hard working, they have minimal, if any, opportunity to better themselves. There is perhaps some progress being made in this regard, but it is achingly slow. Children do now attend some school but many need to drop out by the 3rd grade to work to help the family survive. By contrast, the West seems so outrageously wealthy, at least by our middle class standards. I have heard that 1 out of 3 people in the world live below the poverty line and it seems that what they could use most is not a "Hand Out" but a "Hand Up" to improve their quality of water, sewage control, basic medical care and the encouragement and money to emphasize education.

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