SRW Accomplishments

TOO MANY CROSSED EYES — November 2012

"There is nothing more endearing than a room full of cross-eyed kids." Those words, shared by Mary Dowling, executive director of Sharing Resources Worldwide, as we prepared for our ophthalmic medical mission trip to La Providencia in Siguatepeque, Honduras. For seven years, Mary has worked alongside the people of La Providencia, bringing medical teams to provide care that many Honduran children could not otherwise access or afford. Twice a year, dental, orthopedic, and ophthalmic teams travel there for at least a week to meet specific local health needs. On this trip, our team included one pediatric eye surgeon, two certified registered nurse anesthetists, three operating room nurses, one recovery room nurse, and two ocularists. Together, we would perform strabismus surgery and make prosthetic eyes for children and adults in need.

Honduras has only one pediatric eye surgeon, and surgery is far beyond what most families can afford. For many children, the chance to travel to Siguatepeque for care during our visit was truly once in a lifetime. Strabismus affects eye alignment, often creating a crossed-eye appearance and interfering with normal vision. In addition, our certified ocularists would handcraft and hand-paint custom prosthetic eyes and scleral shells for patients who had lost an eye because of trauma or retinoblastoma (childhood ocular cancer). Because no one in Honduras makes prosthetic eyes, many of these patients had lived most of their lives with an empty socket — sometimes without either eye.

We arrived in Honduras on Saturday afternoon and drove two hours into the mountains to Siguatepeque. After settling into our hotel and eating dinner, we headed to bed, knowing the next day would be full of patient interviews and screenings. That night, we heard what sounded like gunshots — or possibly fireworks — behind the hotel. Before the trip, many people had warned us about traveling to Honduras at a dangerous time, especially through a city then known for its high homicide rate. Those sounds, possibly warning shots from security guards nearby, were the only signs of violence we heard all week. Overall, we felt safe, thanks in large part to the La Providencia staff, who carefully prepared us and emphasized the importance of staying aware. As Mary reminded us, "If anything happened to any of us, we would be shut down. We would not be able to come to this country again, ever."

Sunday was screening day. As we drove through the gates of La Providencia and saw the crowds waiting for us, we knew it would be a full day. Over the next 12 hours, we screened more than 50 surgical candidates, while the ocularists met with dozens of patients. The stories we heard — of children, families, and the long journeys they made to get there — will stay with us forever. Their patience, grace, and humility touched every member of our team. Later, as we reflected on the day, we all agreed that it was remarkable to work with such patient grateful people.

One story that especially moved us was that of a muy guapo — very handsome — 15-year-old boy with severe strabismus in one eye. He wore glasses, though they did little to improve his vision and nothing to change the appearance of his eye. He and his mother had been told by ohthalmologists in Honduras that nothing more could be done. Still, after hearing about our team at La Providencia, they took a chance and made the seven-hour trip to Siguatepeque. We were able to schedule his surgery that week, even though many patients had been waiting since the year before. His surgery went beautifully, and he was a calm, gracious patient in recovery, sitting quietly beneath a donated handmade quilt and wearing Wayfarer-style sunglasses from the post-operative gift bag each child received. The next day, the change was remarkable. His eyes were much straighter, and his smile was enormous. His mother thanked us again and again, tears streaming down her face. She looked at her son as if she could suddenly see an entirely new future opening in front of him.

It is extraordinary to think that a procedure so common in the United States can help change the course of a young person's life in Honduras. Surgery can give a child more than improved vision or appearance; it can offer confidence, dignity, and the chance to move through school, friendships, and future work without being judged for looking different. That possibility made every mile traveled, every long hour worked, and every effort of the week more than worthwhile.

Throughout the week, as surgeries were performed and prosthetic eyes were shaped, painted, and fitted, patience, gratitude, and humility were woven into everything we experienced. It was a privilege to help these children take a meaningful step forward in lives that are already challenging in so many ways.

We returned home with full hearts — and with a renewed appreciation for the resources, opportunities, and everyday blessings that are so easy to take for granted.