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Clinic Blog: Mexico 2 Clinic Blog

September 19, 2010

Toluca Mexico - Final Post

By msigg

We have now all arrived at our respective homes.  We had an amazing 2 weeks helping to give the gift of sight to 8,800 people!  For many of us, this was our first OneSight clinic.  For all of us, it will be an experience we will never forget.  In two weeks we formed strong friendships and it was difficult when our team started to part (beginning at 4:30 AM when the Italian, Holland, & South African team stayed behind in the hotel for a later flight out of Mexico).

Our last several days in Toluca can't adequately be described by words.  We were able to spend a couple hours shopping in a local arts & crafts area on Wednesday.  Then we were honored to be guests of the government at an indoor ceremony during the bicentennial celebration that began at 11:00PM Sept 15.  The ceremony & celebration that took place between 9:00PM and 1:00AM was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.  It was even more special because it was the bicentennial celebration of Mexico declaring their independance.  There was singing, dancing, an amazing light show, fireworks, a flag ceremony, and more.  Unfortunately the video that I had hoped to share from throughout the clinic was still not able to upload in the states due to the file size - so I encourage everyone to ask those of us on the mission for further explination if you are curious.

We would again like to thank the many people & organizations who made this clinic possible, including:  Toluca Mexico local/state government, Devlyn Opticos, Rotary International, DIFF, CSM, Jessica, Frank, Ernesto, Ernie, and all of our amazing volunteers & interpreters!

Thank you all for your encouragement, support, thoughts, prayers, & comments over the past several weeks & months as we prepared for & took part in this great journey.  We are all blessed to be part of such an amazing organization as OneSight and look forward to our next opportunity to give the gift of sight to other deserving people across the globe.

September 14, 2010

Toluca Mexico – Day 8 Clinic

By msigg

Today was a day of many mixed emotions.  On the one hand, it has been an exhausting 8 days of clinic in Toluca and we are ready to see our friends and family back home.  However, the end of clinic means that we will not be directly helping the people of Toluca any more – at least for now.

We don’t yet have our final numbers for today – but we know that we saw more than our goal.  A future post will have all of the stats…

Today we closed our clinic doors in the early afternoon and were fully packed up by 4:30.  Ernesto and several others coordinated a closing ceremony for us.  Our host, CSM, was recognized along with the local government and many volunteers and translators that made our clinic possible.  It was an unexpected surprise at the end of our clinic.  We are so grateful for the support of the local Mexican government,  Rotary, DIFF, Develyn Opticos, and the many other organizations that helped in the success of our clinic.

Although our clinic has ended, we are still in Toluca until Friday.  There may not be any posts until we are back in our home towns – but at that point please look forward to a post with many additional pictures and even some videos from our trip that could not be uploaded during our clinic due to our internet connection.

We are fortunate enough to be here in Toluca for a great celebration during their Labor Day this year.  We will be at a private celebration Wednesday evening during which the official celebration will begin at 11:00 PM.

Today’s Wikipedia Toluca Facts:  The entire year has been proclaimed by President Felipe Calderón as "Año de la Patria," or "Year of the Nation."  15 September 1810 is the day of the "Grito de Dolores" or Miguel Hidalgo's call to take up arms against Spanish colonial government. The start of the Mexican Revolution is celebrated 20 November 1910, when Francisco "Pancho" Villa and Pascual Orozco led the first insurrectionist attack. Events and other promotions of these celebrations are designed to the linking Mexico's identity and historic continuity.  During a speech at the inauguration of the Casa de Allende (Allende's House) Historic Museum, Felipe Calderón called upon Mexico to use the upcoming anniversaries to reflect on where the country has been and to think about what kind of Mexico descendents will inherit in the future. He said the vision of the insurgents of the War of Independence was forward, not backward, so every celebration of these past events must consider the future as well. In the Zocalo (main square) in Mexico City a large digital clock is counting down to the 15 September 2010 and 20 November 2010 dates.

September 13, 2010

Toluca Mexico - Day 7 Clinic

By msigg

Today was a great day in Toluca!  We had several new sets of volunteers who helped throughout our process and the day went very smoothly.  We saw 1,465 patients today and made 103 referrals for additional care.

There were many great stories today - the people we were able to help today were extremely appreciative.

Mike was able to dispense a pair of glasses to woman, Maria, in her late 60's.  As he opened the bag that contained the glasses, a note was included.  One of our LensCrafters associates had donated a pair of Vogue Varilux frames that had never been worn.  He was able to tell Maria about the new frames and take her picture to share with the LensCrafters store.

Laura & Carla were able to help a woman who actually had glasses that were too strong.  They found a more appropriate pair and the recipient was excited that she could read the signs around the room.

Nancy was able to dispense to a 70 year old man who had never worn glasses.  He only had one good eye, so the doctors focused on finding a match for that eye.  We generally put the glasses on the recipient, find out how they need to be adjusted, take them off to adjust & clean them, and then put them back on.  This gentleman was so happy to be able to see that he didn’t want Nancy to take them off for adjusting!  He kept looking around the room because he could see clearly for the first time.

Cindy & Kathy saw a patient at IMS who had a current pair of +15 / +17 sphere glasses with a broken frame.  Unfortunately, we didn’t have anything that could help her in our inventory.  However, they turned her over to Doug who was able to take a frame from one of our glasses in inventory and switch out the lenses.  So she was able to leave with a refurbished pair of glasses.

Several of us have seen several locals in the mall as we are shopping during some of our free time.  They have recognized us and pointed to their glasses with a big smile on their faces.  And speaking of malls – Hal, Cindy, Kathy, & Mike took a walk thru the mall this evening on our way to get some dessert from our favorite local restaurant (Toks).  There was a 4-car train (really meant for kids) that was running throughout the mall and we decided it would be fun to squeeze in to two of the cars and take the trip.  So we paid the $1.00 and had a great time laughing at ourselves and waiving to all of the kids throughout the mall.  We have all been able to take advantage of some of the free times that we have in the evenings to get out and walk around the mall that is literally across the parking lot from our hotel.

Today’s Wikipedia Toluca Facts: In 1810, at the beginning of the independence movement, Miguel Hidalgo stayed in Toluca for a few days on his way to the Battle of Monte de las Cruces. In 1811, a group of indigenous natives of Mexico was shot and killed by Spanish royalists. In memorial to those who were killed in this incident, the place where this occurred was named “Plaza of the Martires”. In 1812, the first city council of Toluca was installed. In 1821, independence was proclaimed by the local authorities.

September 12, 2010

Toluca Mexico - Day 6 Clinic

By msigg

Hello friends & family!  Today we were able to help 1,109 people here in Toluca.  The doctors made 56 referrals for additional care, and Lan & team made 57 chabellas.  To date we have seen 6,241 people so far.  We have 2 days left!
Although we did not see as many people today as we did yesterday, many of them were children today since they were not in school.

We had some more great volunteers today, including some local doctors that were able to help us assess all of the patients.

Randy, our lead doctor for this clinic, was interviewed by a local radio station today.  He was able to tell them how happy we were to be here helping those in need.

Today’s Wikipedia Toluca Facts: When Toluca was founded by the Matlazincas, its original name was Nepintahihui (land of corn, tierra del maíz). The current name is based on the Náhuatl name for the area when it was renamed by the Aztecs in 1473. The name has its origin in the word tollocan that comes from the name of the god, Tolo, plus the locative suffix, can, to denote "place of Tolo".[2] It is also referred to in a number of Aztec codices as Tolutépetl, meaning hill of the god, Tolo, an allusion to the nearby volcano.[3] The name Toluca de Lerdo was adopted in 1861 in honor of President Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada.

September 11, 2010

Toluca Mexico - Day 5 Clinic

By msigg

Today we helped 1,441 people!  We also custom-made 80 chabellas.

Our team saw more children today than any other day so far, and we have been told by some that tomorrow will have even more.  It is amazing to see their faces when their first pair of glasses are put on!

One great story from today was shared by Wisselyne.  She brought a pair of glasses from home and they were a match for one of the girls who passed through today.  When Wisselyne explained where the glasses came from the girl was very touched and began to cry.  Wisselyne, in turn, became emotional as well.  It was a great moment for her and the recipient.

This evening we held our auction.  Everyone on the clinic brings an item or two to auction off to the team as an additional fundraiser.  We had some great items from Italy, Holland, South Africa, Mexico, Hawaii, and more!  We made over $2,000 – all of which will go to OneSight.

Today’s Wikipedia Toluca Fact:  This is one of the safer cities in Mexico, in terms of sanitation, traffic, and crime. The local PAN mayor ran on a platform of 3 minutes response time for the police.

September 10, 2010

Toluca Mexico - Day 4 & first day off

By msigg

We were able to help over 1,300 people on day 4.  Lan was busy on the chabella station and made 62 pair throughout the day.  We had many great volunteers and translators again, which made our jobs much easier.

One of our great stories today was about a gentleman who was severely injured during a cooking accident – his face was burned with steam.  He was having a very difficult time seeing, and after our doctors assessed his situation we were able to fit him with a pair of glasses that will be able to help him see clearly in the future.

We saw more children today than we have any other day so far.  We were able to fit one entire family with custom-made chabellas.  Not only will they all look alike, but the prescriptions that we were able to give them were perfect matches to what they need due to the fact that we make the chabellas on site.  We are hoping to see more children during the last half of our clinic.

Our clinic is set up differently than most with regard to our schedule.  We are in clinic for 4 days, we have 1 day off, then we are back on for 4 days.  Our final 2 days in Toluca are off-days due to their national Labor Day holiday.  This year is especially festive since it is their bicentennial celebration – more on this to come later.

Unfortunately, we had to say an early good-bye to one of our friends.  It was a pleasure meeting and working with you – and we hope that you feel better soon!

Our first day off was amazing.  We had an entire day of sight-seeing around Toluca.  We started at the Otomi Ceremonial Center.  It was an enormous structure/area (see some of the pics).  Several of the Otomi tribe members performed a ceremony for us and presented everyone with flower wreaths around our necks.  We were able to walk around for a while and enjoy the amazing scenery.

Our next stop was Al Templo de Ehecatl (the Temple of Ehecatl).  We were again an audience to a ceremony from the Otomi tribe.  They thanked us for helping many people in their region and provided a great lunch for us on the hillside (see pics).  We were also able to enjoy the dancing from a local high school group.  The view from the temple was amazing, as was the dancing and food.  We were even invited to join them in several of the dances!

We were then surprised by a visit to the Botanical Gardens.  It was an amazing building with more stained glass than any of us had seen in one place.

Our next stop was dinner, in the legislature building.  We were reminded that the local government has been extremely supportive of this clinic.  They have provided many of the meals as well as transportation for us.  We are fortunate to have such great partnerships to make this clinic possible.

Remember to click on today's title to see the pictures!

Today’s Wikipedia Toluca Facts: Toluca has no lake, river, or beach – it is too cold for outside swimming.  This is the city to come to for employment in factories, the state government, hospitals, construction, and a growing service economy.

September 8, 2010

Toluca Mexico – Day 3 Clinic

By msigg

Today we were able to help 1,113 people, we made 25+ referrals, and custom-made 39 chabellas.

We were able to help a young girl today who, despite never having glasses, was doing well in school.  She need to sit in the front of the class, but still had trouble seeing.  When her glasses were dispensed, her mother indicated the thing she was most looking forward to for her daughter was for her to excel even more in school now that she could see clearly.

Mike was able to dispense to a woman (Maria) who tested with a significant correction during auto-refraction.  Maria was 40, with 6 children at home whom she had never been able to see from a distance.  She had traveled 2 hours to the clinic with a  group.  She was very happy when he put the glasses on her for the first time – they were chabellas that were custom-made on site for her.  When we asked what she was most looking forward to, she said seeing her children and being able to sew and create needle-point / cross-stitch projects more easily.

We are fortunate to have many great volunteers – Doctors from Devlyn Opticos, translators from several local schools, and other volunteers from the surrounding community.  More information will come in future posts about our volunteers who help to make our clinic possible.

Today’s Wikipedia Toluca Facts: The place to be is the Portales downtown, then you are in walking distance of many interesting parks, gardens, museums, churches, theatres, stores, restaurants, hotels and government offices.  On the southwest corner of town by ITESM (Tec de Monterrey) is the Centro Cultural Mexiquense with an anthropology museum, folk arts museum, modern arts museum, and library.  UAEM (state university) related events and centers and located all over the city, though most are located in the Ciudad Universitaria and stadium on the west side.

Please remember to click on today’s clinic title to see the pictures from today and post a comment!

September 7, 2010

Toluca Mexico – Day 2 Clinic

By msigg

Today was our second day of clinic.  We were able to help 901 people, we made 39 medical referrals for additional care, and we made 13 chabellas.

Chabellas are glasses that are made on-site to perfectly match a recipient’s prescription.  We bring hundreds of frames that are the same size/shape as well as over 1,000 lenses of varying strength.  The target recipient for a chebella is someone whose prescription falls outside of the acceptable limits of what we have in inventory.

We saw several great stories as there were more recipients with strong prescriptions today.

Randy & Todd, two of our doctors, saw a woman who was 12-14 diopters myopic (near-sighted) never having had glasses.  She could essentially not see clearly past 4 inches in front of her face.  When they dispensed the glasses the woman’s face immediately lit up – she was so happy that she would be able to see her grandchildren for the first time!  Several people on our team were able to spend some time asking her questions.  Raul, one of our team members who is able to also act as a translator, was translating for a while.  Due to the intensity of the situation and the overwhelming emotions (brought about by the amazing story about how she would be able to enjoy her grandchildren and everyone else in her life) he had to step away and bring in another translator.

Carol and Mike were able to dispense a pair of high minus glasses (-9) to a woman in her 60s who had also never had glasses.  She was immediately able to see more clearly and ‘passed’ the eye chart.  Unfortunately her bus was leaving before we could capture more of her story – but her life will be changed forever now that she can see!

These are just some of the reasons why OneSight develops partnerships across the globe and supports 30-40 clinics each year – so we can help the world see more clearly.

Today's Wikipedia Toluca Facts:  Toluca is one of the most industrialized and prosperous cities in Mexico – there are many factories, hospitals, universities, athletic events, and cultural venues.  Toluca has the best taxi system in the world: over 5,000 taxis for a city of about half a million. Just walk to any major street and wave at a passing taxi.

Remember to click on today’s title (“Toluca Mexico – Day 2 Clinic”) in order to see some of the pictures from today.

September 6, 2010

Toluca Mexico - Day 1 Clinic

By msigg

Day 1 started at 6:30 with breakfast.  We then went to the clinic location - a large convention center - to continue setting up the clinic stations.  We then went through each station in small groups and were trained at each station.

We were all surprised to be invited to an 'Opening Ceremonies' with many local government officials as well as leaders from Rotary & Devlyn Opticas.  Several people spoke to a crowd of over 100 locals as well as our team.  Although we could not undersand much of what was being said - the message was clear.  They were all very appreciative of our time and efforts and greatful that we were spending 2 weeks in their country helping many people in need.

We were able to help 323 people today!  This will probably end up being the day we see the least amount of people since it was only 1/2 day.  Our highest volume day is scheduled to be over 1,500 people.

Several stories that stood out: 

Our doctors told us about a woman who came in with a pair of glasses (-14).  She could not drive because she couldn't see and only wanted to be able to drive again.  They read her new prescription at -19, and we were able to find a pair for her that allowed her to see much more clearly!

One patient, Marcelina, had a very old pair of glasses with a -19 prescription.  The glasses were being held together in several places by tape and, as it turns out, were too powerful for what she needed.  We were able to find a pair of glasses with a -16 reading.  When we asked her to try them on her face lit up and she immediately indicated that she could see much better.

All of the patients were so thankful for our services.  Even several who were not able to receive glasses due to other eye issues that needed to be resolved before glasses could help them thanked us when they were given the news.

Today's Wikipedia Toluca Facts:  Toluca is the state capital of Mexico State.  The most famous food dish is a type of sausage called chorizo which is made from ground pork prepared with a sauce made of tomatoes, pumpkin mole, and other spices like salt, pepper, white wine, almonds, potatoes, vinegar, garlic and chile.

We hope to be able to share more pictures as the clinic progresses - but the internet connection is slow and it has been difficult to upload.  You can see the pictures uploaded today by clicking on today's blog title ("Toluca Mexico - Day 1 Clinic").

September 6, 2010

We have arrived in Toluca

By msigg

Buenas Noches!

After a long day of travel we have all arrived in Toluca.  Most of the North American team met in Houston and traveled together to Mexico City, where we met the rest of the team members from across the globe.

We had a 1 ½ hour bus ride from the airport to our hotel.  Ernesto & Ernie – from the local Rotary International – gave us a warm welcome and let us all know that our local partners have been hard at work for the last several months preparing for our clinic.  We are fortunate to have great partners in country – Devlyn Opticos & Rotary International.

Today’s Toluca Facts:  Established in 1530 as a settlement Hernan Cortez;  at this altitude, Toluca has a year-round cool climate (our time here will be around 68F/20C as  a high).

Click on today’s title to see a couple pictures from our journey here.

More to come tomorrow…it has been a long day for all of us here!

August 23, 2010

OneSight Toluca, Mexico Clinic - September 2010

By msigg

Hola amigos, familiares, compañeros de trabajo, y donantes! Bienvenido a nuestro blog.

Hello family, friends, co-workers, & donors! Welcome to our blog.

Welcome to the OneSight Toluca, Mexico 2010 Clinic blog page. Our team of 36 volunteers & doctors from Italy, Brazil, the Netherlands, South Africa, Canada, & the United States will be spending 2 weeks in Toluca, Mexico providing complete eye exams as well as new and recycled eyeglasses to thousands of locals who could not otherwise afford to see clearly.

The team will be together in Toluca from Sunday, Sept 5 - Friday, Sept 17.  Check back here daily, beginning on Monday (Sept 6th), for great stories and highlights of our Clinic. By clicking on the daily blog title (today's is 'OneSight Toluca, Mexico Clinic - September 2010') you will be able to post/see comments as well as view our pictures.  Please add comments throughout our time here - they will be shared with the team members daily and are often a much needed source of encouragement from those loved ones we won't be seeing for several weeks.

If you are interested in helping our team raise funds for our clinic, please visit our Team Fundraising Page.

We are all extremely excited to take part in this life-changing (for us as well as the recipients we will be helping) experience. Thank you for following us on this journey.

Today's Toluca Facts:  Location - approx 40 miles (63 km) southwest of Mexico City.  Population - 467,713 in the city; total municipal population 747,512.  Elevation - 8,750 ft (2,667 m).  Time Zone - Central Standard (1 hour behind EST); currently GMT -5:00 hours.  Each blog post will include new facts about Toluca's history, economy, food, sports, climate, and more!

OneSight is a family of charitable programs dedicated to improving vision through outreach, research, and education. Sponsored by Luxottica, OneSight programs have helped more than 7 million people over its 20-year history.

Each year, OneSight conducts two-week clinics in developing countries where our doctors and trained volunteers provide free eye exams and recycled eyewear to thousands of people in need. To date, we’ve run 175 clinics in 35 different developing countries. This year, we have planned 15 clinics in developing countries around the world. For more information regarding OneSight, visit www.onesight.org.