September 11, 2011

The past 2 days have gone by so quick!

By saubinger

The last two clinic days of Thursday and Friday we saw over 1400 and 1300 patients respectively.  Friday we closed the doors early and we still were able to see so many1  It is a true testament to how well we have been working together the last two weeks.  It still amazes us to see how grateful the people of Hermosillo are and how much they enjoy talking with us.  I can't begin to tell you the number of times someone has said bless you, thank you, or wished us happiness and success in our lives because of the small amount of time we've given them. 

One story in particular that really touched me was the story of two autistic brothers who came in to the clinic.  Their mother said that they get very upset and scared around crowds and doctor offices, so it would be tough to get anything done for them.  We were able to get them up to the front of the lines and see the doctor right away.  Dr. Sanjay Patel took the time to talk with the kids, play a game with them to help them relax and stay calm, and the brothers made it through the whole process with glasses.  The mother was so incredibly grateful to us and couldn't stop thanking us for all we had done. 

That's what the clinic has been all about.  Doing everything we can to help as many people as we can.  As much as the people of Hermosillo enjoyed having us there and all of the appreciation and gratitude they showed us, we were genuinely touched and grateful for the opportunity to serve them.  They touched our lives in a way that is not easily described or understood to someone who has not been on a OneSight mission, but hopefully this blog has given readers a glimpse into what we did every day, and what all of the other missions have done and will continue to do far into the future. 

All of this would not be possible without help from our Partners in Hermosillo.  Cre Ser, Sedesson, the Government of Sonora and the countless volunteers, building staff, and even some patients themselves at times!

On a personal note, I would like to personally thank Alfonso Leon, Firas Trabulsi, Dr. Melanie Chaney, and Dr. Sanjay Patel for some pictures, and especially Maria Arias, who took some amazing pictures as our photography captain and was very accommodating to requests I had for different types of pictures.

As I write this, I believe that all of the team has successfully made it home to Canada, Italia, Deutschland, England, Mexico, and points all over the United States.  We are all now going back to our normal lives having shared this awesome experience and making some life-long friends.  We have came from all over the world, from different cultures and backgrounds for the common goal of helping people see. And wow did we succeed! 

Thanks to everyone who contributed to the blog with stories and pics, as well as to Sara Savio for some Italian Entries as well. 

Thanks for following and we all hope you will continue to support OneSight and all the amazing things we do!

Italian Entry from Sara Savio:

E' davvero incredibile quanto il tempo scorra rapidamente durante una clinica OneSight: i giorni sono avanzati e dopo aver passato 2 settimane insieme ormai tutti siamo tornati alle nostre case, dalle nostre persone care, senza nascondere una certa emozione nel lasciare i nuovi amici...

 Tante sono le sensazioni e le emozioni cose che abbiamo da raccontare, ricordi che per sempre rimaranno impressi nei nostri cuori e nella nostra mente ma come conclusione del nostro viaggio voglio parlarvi di una bimba che ho incontrato negli ultimi giorni in clinica. Non vi parlo di gravi difetti visivi o patologie gravi ma di una bimba che fortunatamente vede bene, ma che comunque ha toccato una qualche corda del mio cuore. no dei traduttori, spingeva una sedia a rotelle e dentro c'era una bimba con seri problemi di deambulazione. Chiaccherava con lui in attesa che il dottore potesse visitarla. Quando é arrivato il suo turno il ragazzo ha iniziato a spingerla: lei si é girata e gli ha detto che faceva da sola... Mi ha colpito molto la grinta di questa bambina e il suo grido a noi e al mondo che nonostante tutto lei ce l'avrebbe fatta da sola! E credetemi che con l'energia con la quale si spingeva da sola sono certa che ce la farà!!! Non ci sono ostacoli insormontabili, basta metterci tutta la grinta e l'energia che riusciamo a trovare dentro di noi: questo è l'insegnamento più grande che questa bimba dagli occhioni neri ha saputo dare a chi l'ha incontrata nel suo cammino...

 E con questo racconto finisce l'avventura messicana, ancora una volta il ritorno a casa è bello perchè si ritorna tra i nostri affetti, ma ci manca qualcosa... mancano i nuovi amici, mancano i sorrisi della gente e il sentirsi utile...

 Ringraziamo di cuore tutti coloro che ci hanno seguito con entusiasmo, lasciandoci tanti messaggi sul blog... è stato bello sentirvi vicini! Un ringraziamento particolare poi a tutti coloro che hanno lavorato con noi: amici del team OneSight, amici della Sedesson e di TUTTI coloro che hanno permesso la realizzazione di questa clinica... GRAZIE DI CUORE!

Dr. Sanjay Patel with the brothers mentioned above
One of the brothers with his new glasses
One of dozens of glasses that had a note in it from the Clarksville, TN LensCrafters. They have recycled over 20,000 pairs of glasses and Amy Mohler, one of our team members is from that store!
A lucky recipient with some new glasses and a stuffed animal that a team member brought as a gift
Renato Ambrosini with a patient and her new glasses!
Alfonso Leon with a happy recipient!
Mari Fontanive with a patient
Sara Savio managing the paper work. She was also the delivery person for our water and gatorade! Grazie Sara!
The last patient of the clinic!

4 Comments

  1. Anny Garza says:

    Thanks to all members of OneSight team for bringing help and love to “Hermosillenses”. Big hug to everyone! :D

    Posted on Sun Sep 11, 2011 11:31 pm EST

  2. Martin says:

    We have came from all over the world, from different cultures and backgrounds for the common goal of helping people see. And wow did we succeed! casino spiele

    Posted on Mon Sep 12, 2011 2:47 am EST

  3. Art Rice says:

    A big hug to Leona and the team from Art in Colorado! Great work!

    Posted on Mon Sep 12, 2011 11:19 am EST

  4. SaraS says:

    A special thanks to Scott! you knew very well describe our adventure, and you have been able to put together the ideas of many in order to ensure that the blog was better every day ... great job!

    Posted on Wed Sep 14, 2011 2:16 pm EST

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