EyeCare WeCare Foundation has just finished the mission on January 12, 2008. It was a very important and historic mission because it was the first mission that a mobile vision clinic was used. It is also historic because of the number of indigents that received eye examinations and received eyeglasses. There were 8 days of clinics, 7 different Barangays , a total of 1,559 indigents were examined, 1,538 received eyeglasses, 153 bottles of eye medication was dispensed.

The mobile clinic was able to be taken to the outback over roads very poor roads, overhanging low trees and narrow gates. It got great marks.

It was the first test with the new mobile vision clinic. While transporting the mobile clinic to its venue in Ma'ao, a problem with condensation on all of the optical instruments due to the bus air conditioner. The instruments had to be dried so they wouldn't fog up. The first day also there was a brown out all day so the generator had to be used. It was found that in order to run the air conditioner (a must -- believe me) and the interior lights and the electricity for all of the instruments, the refrigerator could not be used (not a big deal) nor the hydraulic chair to lift the patients (big deal). If the chair was raised then the generator would bog down and stop. The chair was set a little lower, some patients had to slouch down and some had to stretch, but it was manageable.

Changes were made to adapt from the previous patient flow using the mobile clinic, and many more people were able to be treated. Below are some of the people that benefited from the vision mission and will change their lives immensely.

This first grader came through the line and was found to have 20/800 Vision. This means that what a person with normal vision can see at 800 feet, she would have to get up to 20 feet to see it. She could not see the board in school. Dr. put her prescription in a trial frame and she got so excited about being able to see, she did not want to give the trial frames and lenses back. She wanted to wear them. Ellen took her by the hand and went to the dispensary and found a pair of glasses for her and her smile tells it all. She received a Rx of -7.00 Diopters each eye.

The Little girl below has exotropia right eye. Notice how her right eye is looking to the right while her left eye is looking straight ahead. She was quite farsighted. After receiving her prescription eyeglasses, notice that both eyes are in alignment.

Below is a small boy with accommodative esotropia (very farsighted so when he focuses to see well, his eyes turn in) with high plus lenses he doesn't have to focus at distance to see and his eyes do straighten out.

This young lady below came in wearing spectacles that were too weak and broken. They were replaced with a stronger Rx around -11.00 D that had thinner high index and anti reflection coated hard resin lenses. She was so happy that she cried like a baby for about 5 minutes.

Below is a child with a lid infection that was given medication to resolve the condition. The other picture is a young lady who came  because she couldn't see at distance. She had never worn spectacles before. Her unaided vision was 20/650 both eyes. She now  can see clearly again.

In summery, the mobile clinic or "the clinic on wheels" worked well. The equipment did not have to be carried from barangay to barangay. It stays aboard the bus and only the eyeglasses had to be moved out of the bus to be dispensed. Pop up 12' X 12'  tents were used outside the bus. One was used for registration and the other was used for dispensing eyeglasses.  Now the set up and the packing up takes only 30 minutes each where before it had to be transported by sugar cane truck and pick up truck and it had to be set up the night before the clinics. It took several hours to repack the supplies and equipment and then had to be put in storage until the next day of clinic. The foundation also can now go to other islands to serve the people. The next scheduled medical vision mission is going to be in June of 2008 and we will be transporting the mobile clinic to other islands.

JUNE 2007 VISION MISSION :

EyeCare WeCare Foundation just completed a three two day clinics in remote barangays in Bago City, Negros Occidental, Philippines and one two day clinic in the large city of Bacolod. The first clinic was June 9th and 10th in the rice fields of Brgy. Dulao, the next clinic was held in Bacolod at the "River of Life Church" on June 11th and 12th. The equipment and supplies then moved back into the rice fields at Brgy. Pacol on June 13th and 14th. The final venue was in the heart of the sugar cane fields in Brgy. Bacong on the 15th and 16th of June. It was a very productive mission in which 1,124 pairs of eyeglasses were dispensed. over 140 bottles of eye medication were dispensed, 123 cataract referrals and  67 pterygium referrals were issued. The clinics ran very smoothly as the volunteers gain more optical experience.  Prescriptions for people were found. 98% of the indigents left with a wearable correction.

The vision missions had its share of making a big difference in peoples lives on this trip especially young people. While in the Barangay Bacong  a first grade teacher brought in a female student that couldn't see the board nor could she see to read. She had never had never seen a eye doctor before. Her eyes were also crossed. Her condition fooled the auto refractor but not the doctor. Dr. determined that she had Accommodative Esotropia. A retinascope was used to determine to refractive error which was a huge +9.00D right eye and +8.75D left. After finding a pair of glasses with her prescription she became elated when she could see at near and distance. With her new glasses her eyes straightened out quite a bit. Her left eye still turns in a little but she still very happy when she left.

Below is a little boy, from the rice fields of Barangay Pacol, who was in the second grade who came in with his mother. He had a total corneal scar on his right eye with no vision and stated that he couldn't see the board with his left eye. He could see at near, but had to hold things near his nose. He had never had an eye exam before Dr. Weyrich determined that he needed a - 6.25 -4.50 X 95  left eye. It is too bad that all of you could not experience the pure joy of witnessing someone being able to see at distance for the first time.

Not too long after the little boy was seen, the very same day a 7th grade girl came through the  line who had micro ophthalmus (extremely small eyes). She also had never seen an eye doctor before. Her right eye had a cyst as well and had no vision, her left eye however was a little larger than the right eye, but was still very, very farsighted because smallness of the eye. Dr. determined her prescription and now she can see considerably better at far and at near, something she has never been able to do in her life. You can see by her expression how she felt the minute she received her glasses.

Patients like these are the ones who motivate EyeCare WeCare Foundation Volunteers to keep coming back. It is very addictive, the more you serve, the more you want to serve. We would encourage any of you that view this website, if you feel call to volunteer with the foundation, let us know.

Send mail to info@eyecarewecare.org with questions or comments about this web site.
Last modified: 01/19/08