Optometry, NEVOSH trip to Jinotepe, Nicaragua, 2003

“The last day, an 84 year-old woman came in. I examined her, and she had cataracts in both eyes. She couldn't see that much, only finger-counting. The schedule for the operations was full, so she could not have an operation. I told her, that if she wanted an operation, she could come back the next year on the first day, because we could not help her this time, we could only give her a pair of glasses. She told me, that she could have been operated on last year, but at that time, she was too afraid. With the prescription of -1.00 she could see much better she said, but she could not see the biggest letter on the eye chart. I gave her the prescription, because she liked it very much. One hour later she came back and had her glasses on, but the reading portion of the bifocals was in front of her pupils, so she said it was too blurry. I found another pair of glasses and she was very happy, although she could not see that much. She asked me to look for her next year, if she made it. Otherwise she would wait for me in heaven. She was so thankful.” Debby Vugts

“My most significant patient encounter was an 82 year-old woman, a U.S. trained OB-GYN who was blind from cataracts. It was such an ironic thing that this woman had the chance to study medicine in the U.S. so long ago, and that so many years later she could not afford a cataract operation. It really blew me away. Luckily we were able to get her in to see Dr. Grimes.” Frank Siringo

"I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know everyone in NEVOSH better." Long Tran

“On the third day of the mission, we had a 10 year-old boy with high oblique astigmatism in dispensing. We didn't have any glasses that were even close for him so we decided to fabricate. We had an Rx for the right eye, but for the left eye, we were supposed to neutralize and replicate his existing spectacles. After giving us all of his contact info, he left before we were able to neutralize his specs or get an inter-pupillary distance. That night, some of the translators invited a few of us examiners to dinner at their home in Masaya. Realizing that the little boy I saw that day was from the same town, I brought a hand full of trial lenses and a PD stick. Several hours later, after dinner, I found myself in a casino with some of our translators in the same district of Masaya that the little boy lived. I convinced one of the translators to take me there in a cab. After a short cab ride and a very dark, somewhat unnerving walk through some back roads, we found the house. We had to wake up the entire family, but the parents recognized me and let us in. After a little hand neutralization in the living room and a couple of quick measurements, we were back to the casino with all the information we needed. That little side trip made the 300 cordobas (about $20) I lost on black jack that night worth it.” Rocco Robilotto

The 2003 Volunteer Optometrists at our mission site in Jinotepe, Nicaragua. To see all of the photos for this grouping, click here.

“My entry into this years mission report is titled "Signs that the apocalypse is upon us":
While walking to clinic one morning one of my patients whom I had seen the day before rode by on his bike, said good morning, and asked me for my email address so he could follow up on the lenses that we were fabricating for him...good thing I gave him Jeff's email address.” Ben Peters

“I was amazed at the number of people who came in with very poor visual acuities (finger counting only) whose only problem was the need for glasses. They had no idea how clear vision could be until VOSH provided them with eyeglasses. I am looking forward to going toward more remote areas in the future.” Harry Hart

“An old farmer came in for his exam during the middle of the chaotic Thursday afternoon. I was just starting to fade into the robotic mode. I gave him the prescription, some sunglasses, and drops (we called that the special package!) His words to me in Spanish were ‘Only G-d can pay you for this deed.’ That should be enough for all of us to go home fulfilled. We make a difference.” Larry Ginsburg