December 2, 2012

Changing Lives - Ours, too.

By cschenk

Today marks the end of Day 5 of clinic, and a total of 7 days in Thailand. Every day gets more and more amazing here, and the wonderful people never cease to amaze us. What patient, peaceful and happy people – such a deserving group of for us to be lucky to help.

Yesterday our group traveled to Bangkok to visit the Grand Palace and to see the Emerald Buddha. What a special experience to share with each other, taking in the breathtaking architecture and design along with learning about the Buddhist and Thai cultures. Of course, a little eyewear humor came out from the one and only Terry Wilcox: “Do you know why there are 30,000 temples in Thailand? Because there are 15,000 pairs of frames!” – Get it? Yes, it was just as bad in person :) We then went to an indoor market to barter with shop owners for Thai goods & to eat lunch at…wait for it…KFC! Very appreciative for some familiar tastes!

Today at clinic we treated 1,277 patients, our record high! Each day we grow as a team, help more people and make the most of our limited time here. We had quite a few unforgettable moments; here are a few that stand out to share:

  • Tess: “An 80 year old lady has been borrowing glasses from her granddaughter because she doesn’t have her own pair, and when her granddaughter needs her glasses, she would then borrow from her neighbor. She tried her best to make it through day by day borrowing from other people. Today after I dispensed her very own glasses, I witnessed a smile on her face and tears of happiness, knowing that she does not need to borrow from other people ever again. This is a moment of a lifetime that I will not forget until I die.”
  • Carly Schenck (me!): “Today I had the chance to partner with Dr. Kyle to fit eyeglasses and sunglasses on the sweetest 11-year old girl with Down syndrome. I sat down with her and her mother for about 15 minutes while we waited for her Chabellas to be made – we made hand puppets and played with toys. She was so patient and happy to be there with me, not afraid at all by the tests or new surroundings. When her glasses were ready and Dr. Kyle placed them on her face, she immediately froze up, not quite sure what was happening. Once she became comfortable, a smile beamed across her little beautiful face. Hearing the words “thank you” (in English) come out of her mouth as we said goodbye was so wonderful. Such a heartwarming moment and the highlight of our day.”
  • Terry Wilcox: “I have always believed that we have our ‘optical twin’ someplace in this world. My high minus Rx patient not only received a perfect match with a previously worn progressive Rx, but the frame fit perfectly. AWESOME!”

We continue to miss you all at home – we love you and think about you daily!

 Love,

Team Thailand

happy for her glasses
thankful
this is what it's all about!
Trudi & patients
Mike rocking a patient out with wayfarers
Scott testing IMS on a tablet
Dr. Nishi examining a patient

5 Comments

  1. Todd Henderson says:

    The Grand Palace sounds incredible! And helping the little girl - what a great memory that’ll inspire you for a long, long time. Great pics too!

    Posted on Sun Dec 2, 2012 11:46 pm EST

  2. Candido says:

    Hi Scott, tireless worker, from Chile to Thailand, always to help people in need ............ where are the Italians? we would like to see a picture of Italian team, where is the captain Brentana? A warm hello and good job to all !!!

    Posted on Mon Dec 3, 2012 1:32 am EST

  3. Elvira Walker-Coaston says:

    Hi Tracie and Team Thailand!!!

    It has truly been great following the blog postings. Thanks for that. You all are having some awesome expriences that are creating some great memories. The pictures are wonderful.  Tracie, we are proud of you and your contribution to Team Thailand.  Miss you, love you really mean it.

    Peace and blessings to the team.

    Posted on Mon Dec 3, 2012 2:49 pm EST

  4. Miranda M. Williams says:

    Your trip sounds amazing. You saw an emerald Buddha, I saw a 2 story Jolly Green Giant in South Dakota. Somehow your trip sounds more amazing than mine. Terry - Keep the jokes coming.

    What did the right eye say to the left eye?
    -Between you and me, there’s something that smells…hehehehehhehe

    Posted on Mon Dec 3, 2012 4:44 pm EST

  5. M Chris Leese says:

    Thank you for posting photos! They are beautiful and tell us so much about Team Thailand, its enough to bring tears to our eyes.
    We are super proud of Dr. Kyle and the whole team - thank you for helping all these people in this very generous, tangible way.

    Posted on Tue Dec 4, 2012 10:46 pm EST

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