RESULTS OF PREVIOUS MEDICAL VISION MEDICAL MISSIONS

January 2010 Vision Mission Sets a Record: 1,763 INDIGENTS SERVED IN NINE DAYS

From January 4, 2010 to January 11, 2010, EyeCare WeCare conducted a medical-vision mission for nine days in 10 different locations in the Province of Negros Occidental.  A total of 1,769 indigents were served, they received free eye exams, free eyeglasses and free eye medications.

The foundation set a record during this mission.  EyeCare WeCare has, so far, reached its highest number of indigents served on Negros Occidental in one mission trip (1,763), making its total number of indigents served since July 2005 into 11,088.

EyeCare WeCare's clinic venue and the list of indigent beneficiaries were arranged and determined by different religious sectors allover the province. Below are some of the people who's lives were changed for ever.

The foundation would like to thank and recognize the following sponsors who were very instrumental in this medical vision mission. Bausch and Lomb for the medications, The Philippine Airlines Foundation and Hawaiian Airlines for allowing it to fly with us for no cost. The  Northwest Lions Eye Glasses Recycling Center and the Northwest Kiwanis SOS program for supplying the recycled eyeglasses and of course to all of the volunteers who made this medical mission and all of the previous eye missions possible.

The foundation is scheduled to conduct its next medical-vision mission in Pampanga and its surrounding areas in early June 2010.  Pampanga is one of the highly affected provinces during the flooding in October 2009 that devastated a large number of population in the Luzon area.

Read about Helen in Philippine newspaper VIsayan Daily Star "StarLife Sunday" January 31,2010

Helen Tambanillo ,Purok Riverside, Brgy. Tabunan, Bago City, came in claiming to never remember being able to see, received new eyeglasses which were a minus 18 diopter correction. She cried for over 2 hours, had every volunteer and indigent at the venue in tears. Even our bus driver ended up crying like a baby. She stayed for 2 hours singing praises to GOD. Center picture is with EyeCare WeCare Foundation's vice president, Jobert Tagobader. This was one of 1,769 recipients on this mission, but for her it was truely a life changing experience.

                  The young girl was a student that could not see the board in school, she had never had glasses and had no idea what she was mission until she received her glasses. This will change her life. The lady on the right has cataracts but doesn't want surgery. We were able to power through her cataracts with minus lenses to greatly improve her vision and quality of life

EyeCare WeCare Foundation Completes it's Two 2009  Medical Vision Missions to The Province of Iloilo and Negros Occidental in the Philippines

The January medical vision mission in 2009 was  in the Province of Iloilo on Panay Island. It was quite an experience loading the mobile clinic on and off the ferry boats. The ferries are very small and you either drive in and back out, or you back in and you drive out. The ramps were very challenging because there is only one ramp and it doesn't adjust to the level of the tides. On the way off the bus in Iloilo, the tide was quite low. The angle up was steep and the bus hit bottom on both the front and the back of the bus when it exited. The ferry terminal was in the Municipality Dumangas. 

Iloilo was probably the worst hit area, in all of the Philippines, from Typhoon Frank which hit in late June of 2008. Many will recall that was the terrible storm that turned over a ferry boat , not far from Iloilo, and over 800 lives were lost.  Also, over 400 fisherman were never found. Most of the Municipalities that we visited were along rivers that flooded up to 50 feet over their banks. They literally had to dig out the towns in many areas. The floods destroyed hospitals and medical clinics. Many people were also killed and injured in the floods. A death total from all of the Visayas (middle portion of the Philippines) from the floods was 213, it was noted that of that figure, 135 were from the Province of Iloilo.  Some lost lives later as the result of diseases from contaminated  water. The infrastructure of many areas was damaged very badly. Many bridges are gone that link the communities. Some have temporary bridges and there is much bridge construction everywhere. Many of the roads were destroyed or badly damaged. That was a great challenge to bring the mobile vision clinic over the bad roads. We prayed before we went over all of the temporary ones              

                   Amerang river bridge Cabutuan                 Tubucan river bridge also Cabutuan

Thousands are still living in temporary housing because they lost their homes and all of their belongings. The poor people were so grateful for what the foundation brought to them. 2,014 people received eye examinations and free eyeglasses. 

The following people listed below had a huge life changing experience by their vision being restored.

This lady was led into the mobile clinic and she stated  to Dr. Weyrich     " I have been blind for over 30 years, I cannot see you, but I have prayed that you can help me."  The doctor was looking at the results of the auto refractor and noticed that she needed a -11 diopter powered lenses for each eye. This means that she couldn't see anything beyond one inch of her eyes. Later, after receiving her glasses to her prescription, she barged her way onto the mobile clinic bus, crowding ahead of the waiting indigents.  Dr. Weyrich stated that he didn't even recognize her because she was walking on her own and she had a smile the width of her face. She yelled at the Dr. and said "I came back to give you a hug, I can now see to walk on my own, I can see a bus, I can now see my friends and relatives, ---I CAN NOW GET A JOB"  Wow, everyone had tears of joy. This lady was worth all of the trouble and expense of the entire trip. PRAISE GOD!

This young girl said she had been noticing her vision has slowly gotten worse and that she could only see to read if she held the reading material at about 5 inches. Now she can see again. She could not quit saying, "I can see you, I can see you, wow, I can see you

The gentleman below approached Dr Weyrich when the mobile clinic arrived in Lambunao. "I have been blind in my left eye for years from an accident while working in the sugar cane fields and now I can hardly see out of my good eye now. Can you help me?" Dr. said, go over that table and register and I will see you. About 3 hours later, he came through the line and look at the smile on his face and you determine if you think he was helped by his new bifocal lens.

This little girl really tugs at your heart. She was born with an undeveloped left eye, a cleft pallet, her fingers and toes were grown together and her teeth were not developed correctly. To top it off she had limited vision with her good eye. Dr. Weyrich determined that with prescription eyeglasses her right eye could be corrected to 20/25.

RESULTS OF PREVIOUS VISION MISSIONS:

Gladys, a 4th grader that couldn't read the big E on the Chart standing only two feet in front of it. She had to come back in tears to hug and thank the doctor after receiving her glasses of -9.50 power each eye. Everyone got a good cry.

Irene, a first grader, 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 20/600 both eyes. She now  can see clearly again.

While in the Barangay Bacong  a first grade teacher brought in Grace who was one of her students. Grace 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. She returned later that day with her mother who was so moved by the change in her daughter that she said that she had never seen Grace have a smile that big. Her mother, who was also very farsighted, also received and eye examination and glasses and was in tears when she left and made a point to thank each and every volunteer.

Below is a Joel, from the rice fields of Barangay Pacol, who was twelve, 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 wanting to serve again. 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 called to contribute to this worthy cause volunteer with the foundation, please contact us.

Send mail to info@eyecarewecare.org with questions or comments about this web site.
Last modified: 08/17/10