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Clinic Blog: 2011 Mexico Clinic Blog

June 3, 2011

Day 11: And the winners are…. 10,654 patients!

By gbertuzzo

...and all good things come to an end. Today was the last day at our clinic, a bitter-sweet day for us all volunteers.

We started at our usual time, knowing this would have been a hard day both for the number of patients and for the packing we needed to do. Most of the patients were kids, and this definately helped in keeping the spirits up. In fact we all started to feel a bit sad that this adventure was coming to an end.

Overall, in the 10 days of clinic we visited and donated eyewear to 10, 654 people...600+ more than originally planned. I don't want to brag...BUT WE ROCK!!!

After taking care of the last patient, we immediately started to pack everything up. Some of the materials will go back to the office in Cincinnati, others will go straight to another mission and we wanted to make sure that all will be ready and neatly packed for the next group of volunteers. It was not easy task, but we were done pretty quickly....and happy to find at the end cold drinks offered by our local partners: the Rotary Club, the Devlyn foundation, DIF and the Department of Health. They all honored OneSight and our team with a closing ceremony. Gifts and thanks were shared, as well as hugs and promises to keep in touch. Tons of pictures were taken...by us and of us.. almost as if we were celebrities. All volunteers were gifted with a handcrafted souvenir of Puebla.

The time to part came very soon, and as we arrived we were ready to board the bus from the clinic for the last time.

As this is our last post...or ..well, no...not yet.  Please come back next week for the final piece to officially close this blog. A lot of things to be said, memories and emotions to be shared...but some time is needed before that to let everything sink in a bit.

Meanwhile, we are off for an evening of goodbyes, and tomorrow our journey back home!

Hasta luego Puebla! y muchas gracias OneSight!

 

 

June 3, 2011

Giorno/day 10: 1,001 bambini, uno dopo l’altro! (1,001 kids, one by one!)

By gbertuzzo

1,001 bambini dai 5 ai 15 anni delle scuole di Puebla e dintorni si sono presentati in clinica accompagnati dai rispettivi maestri. Siamo tutti rimasti piacevolmente sorpresi dal comportamento educato e rispettoso dei bimbi durante tutta la giornata. Molti di loro hanno fatto un lungo viaggio in autobus ma non si sono lamentati neanche durante la lunga attesa. Era uno spettacolo tra le altre cose vederli tutti con la divisa della scuola, che tra l'altro e' uso abbastanza comune in tutta l'america latina. Questo aiuta tra l'altro ad amalgamare bambini di classi sociali diverse...c'e' chi infatti non puo' permettersi di andare a scuola tutti i giorni con vestiti puliti..magari i vestiti non li hanno neppure. In questo modo, sono tutti uguali.

Tutti i pazienti sono importanti per il team, ma non possiamo negare che i bambini riescono sempre ad emozionarci in maniera unica. Sara' perche' sembrano cuccioli indifesi, oppure per i sorrisi e gli abbracci spontanei e sinceri che ci donano... ad esempio, una bambina di 5 anni, molto timida e forse intimidita, e' stata in silenzio durante tutta la visita. Aveva addirittura timore a rispondere alle domande dei medici e volontari che volevano capire quanto riuscisse a vedere. Quando pero' ha ricevuto il suo primo paio di occhiali, ha sorriso e con sicurezza ha detto "finalmente ci vedo"!! Ecco, la gioia e la sorpresa nei suoi occhi ci hanno ulteriormente ricordato perche' siamo qui, e qual e' la missione ultima di OneSight.

Ovviamente lavorare con i bambini, richiede avere montature e lenti adeguate. Oltre che a sensibilizzare le persone nell'importanza di riciclare gli occhiali, OneSight e' anche dotato di "linea Chabella"

Si tratta in pratica di montature rotonde in metallo, disegnate apposta per i bambini. Questo permette di sostituire le lenti in modo facile e veloce, cosi' da poter personalizzare un paio d'occhiali con la graduazione giusta in pochi minuti anche fuori da un laboratorio  -  come ad esempio in missione. Durante la nostra clinica in Messico, abbiamo distribuito circa 500 occhiali Chabella (vedi foto)

Domani e' l'ultimo giorno della clinica e i nostri pazienti saranno di nuovo quasi esclusivamente bambini! :)

June 2, 2011

Day 8: first clinic day of a new week

By gbertuzzo

After 2 days of touring and relaxing, we were fully ready for our second week of clinic. But our patients were even more ready... and in fact when we arrived at the clinic around 8 am (like we do every morning) we found a HUGE line of people already waiting. We couldn't believe what we saw - take a look at the pictures below! But we were not discouraged, and we jumped into the task one patient at a time.

We must say that patients have been very pleasant to work with, and they all petiently waited for their turn. Some of them stayed in line for hours, standing, no matter how old or sick. Many of them carried babies with them, one as young as 3 days.

At the end of the day, the number of patients rounded up to 1,500  -  we are totally going strong, day after day!

And nothing better to relax than a special treat! We all went to the historical center of Puebla for a typical mexican dinner in one of the city's most scenograhic restaurants. We all sat outside on a rooftop overlooking the Zocalo square and enjoying an early summer nite. Company was great, food was yummy, music was fun, tequila was on each table...

After that, it was time to go back to the hotel and charge our batteries... big days are laying ahead!

June 1, 2011

Day 9: successful day at the Clinic, followed by pin ceremony and silent auction

By gbertuzzo

There is no need to spend any more words on how great this team is: on how committed we are, how much care of take of each patient, how efficiently we work,... After all, numbers are pretty much self-explanatory, and today number is....(suspense).... 1,460

Since we started, we have met approximately 7,000+ patients. In a big picture, they all might seem to share a similar story, but if you look a bit closer you see how each of them is unique. Like Senora Lucia, 66 years old, with no family and making a living embroidering. We can only imagine how hard it must have been for her to get by these past years... Thanks to her new glasses, she can work again and live a more comfortable life. Or like a another patient who was so happy with her new glasses, that she made a flower with a string of paper and gave to the volunteer that helped her. She has received the gift of sight, but I am sure Marinella (from Italy) will treasure that flower for ever.

To those reading this blog: all of this would not be possible without the people that support OneSight through fundraising and/or glasses recycling. An example, is the work done by Paige, 15, in the UK. Paige is Liam's daughter: she has not only donated her glasses to OneSight, but she has also been fundraising as part of the Duke of Edinburgh Awards Scheme. Way to go Paige!!!

After another day at the Clinic, we came back to the hotel for a very special evening. During the official "pin ceremony" we stopped for a few minutes to really think about how this experience is affecting us as individual, how helping people is helping us, and how we are building strong frienships. We all received a pin to remind us of how powerful a group of people can be, how our lives are affected by the people we meet, and that help is always mutually beneficial.

And last but not least, it was time to keep supporting OneSight with our silent auction. It was a lot of fun, we all have "memorabilia" to bring home and, most of all, we raised more than $4,000. PRETTY AWESOME!

2 more days to go! We will be back soon with much more!

May 30, 2011

Day 7: tour of Puebla and official lunch with The Rotary Club and the Develyn Foundation

By gbertuzzo

Today was the second day of our weekend, and we were able t sleep in a bit! after that we took a tour bus with an open desk, and we enjoyed a tour of Puebla.

We learned a lot, took tons of picture and even managed to sunbathe.. or get sunburnt...sometimes there is only a very fine line between the two! ;)

Established by the Spanish in 1531 on the main route between the port of Veracruz and Mexico City, PUEBLA was the principal city of colonial Mexico. Over the years it assumed many different names: City of Angels, City of Tiles, Heroic City of Zaragoza. Today we know it as simply Puebla. Puebla's appearance is the most European of all the colonial cities, because it was planned from the ground up by a Spanish city designer rather than being built within an existing Indian community. By 1539, Puebla had a university and was on its way to becoming well-known throughout Mexico for milling, textiles, exquisitely decorated pottery and tiles, and for the architectural beauty of its buildings.Although modern Puebla is highly industrialized, its historic downtown remains a Spanish-colonial treasure filled with elegant 17th and 18th century European architecture and art. When you add a temperate climate year-around, friendly and courteous residents (called poblanos) and delicious regional cuisine, Puebla becomes the ideal place to learn Spanish.

While on tour, we were able to get an exclusive tour of the municipal building (FYI, all the marble had been imported from Italy!), and after that a quick pick of the Chapel of the Rosary and the city's Cathedral. The cathedral is an amazing building and according to some sources it was supposed to be build in Mexico City. Apparently there was a mix up with the maps, and VOILA!  Puebla ends up with a cathedral more majestic than the one in Mexico´s capital.

After the tour, we went to the local Marriott Hotel for a pretty fancy dinner sponsored by Puebla's Rotary Club. All their major representatives were there, togetehr with Mr. Develyn, from the Develyn foundation. For sure this clinic wouldn't have happened without their help!

The rest of the evening is free ..between shopping, some last sightseeing and a lot of rest, we all got ready for tomorrow clinic!.. We played tourists for a couple fo days, now time to go back to work!

May 29, 2011

After a week in contemporary Mexico…it was time to travel back in time!

By gbertuzzo

After  4 days of clinic and assisting more than 5,000 people, the team totally deserved a day off!!

Some decided to walk around Puebla, while the majority traveled to Teotihuacan, one of the most important archeological sites in Mexico. We left around 8.30 this morning, and after a couple of hours we reached the remainings of the ancient capital of the Aztec empire. Some felt it was a bit early given today it is Sunday, but I personally think it was totally worth it!

This site contains some of the largest pyramidal structures built in the pre-Columbian Americas. Apart from the pyramidal structures, Teotihuacan is also known for its large residential complexes, the Avenue of the Dead, and numerous colorful, well-preserved murals. In addition, the city served as background for one of the most important historical moments: the meeting between Aztecs' emperor Montezuma and Spaniard conquistador Hernan Cortes (1519).

FOR MORE INFO: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teotihuacan

FOR IMAGES OF THE SITE - APOLOGIES TODAY WE ARE NOT POSTING ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPHY:

http://www.google.com/search?q=teotihuacan&hl=en&biw=1071&bih=463&prmd=ivnsm&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=-BzjTfCXNYrOiALFu4HDBg&sqi=2&ved=0CDsQsAQ

Today, we (unfortunately) discovered that city pretty much shuts down on Sunday nites..and so after walking around looking for a restaurant, all team members met by chance around the Zoqalo square, probably the busiest place. I guess we will need to postpone that idea of a salsa dancing nite!.. but we heard Wednesday nite is a great evening for some rumba.... so stay tuned!

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Dopo 4 giorni di clinica e dopo aver visitato piu' di 5,000 pazienti, avevamo bisogno di un meritato giorno di riposo.

Parte del gruppo e' rimasto a Puebla, mentre la maggioranza si e' recata a Teotihuacan, uno dei principali siti archeologici del Messico. Questo sito include alcune delle strutture piramidali piu' grandi del periodo pre-colombiano, ed e' conosciuto per i grandi complessi residenziali, il Viale dei Morti, e numerosissime e coloratissime pitture murali.

Inoltre, Teotihacan e' servita come sfondo a uno dei momenti storici piu' importanti: l'incontro tra l'imperatore degli Aztechi Montezuma e il conquistador spagnolo Hernan Cortes (1519).

 PER MAGGIORI INFO (in inglese): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teotihuacan

IMMAGINI DEL SITO ARCHEOLOGICO - http://www.google.com/search?q=teotihuacan&hl=en&biw=1071&bih=463&prmd=ivnsm&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=-BzjTfCXNYrOiALFu4HDBg&sqi=2&ved=0CDsQsAQ

Oggi abbiamo inoltre scoperto che (purtroppo) la domenica sera la citta' si spegne...e cosi dopo aver camminato alla ricerca di uno ristorante, ci siamo tutti per caso ritrovati alla piazza dello Zocalo. Abbiamo cosi' dovuto annullare la nostra serata di ballo latino! Abbiamo pero' scoperto che il mercoledi' e' la serata ideale per la rumba - vi terremo aggiornati!!

May 29, 2011

If you bet Mexico team could not assist 1600 patients in one day…YOU LOST!

By gbertuzzo

The team is getting better and better each day, today with the record of 1,625 visits. It was a non-stop day, where kids, young kids, adults and elderly people continued to pass through all the stations of our clinic: registration, vision acuity, auto-refractor, medical examination, glasses selection and dispensing…

Of course the dispensing moment is very emotional – that is when people actually are fitted with their glasses and they start to see…and of course the first thing they see is…our faces!

But no way we could assist an average of 200 people a day, if there wasn´t a strong leadership and a committed team behind…and if we weren´t also having fun while doing it!

Even we take our goal VERY seriously, it doesn’t mean we cannot find the time to sing happy birthday to a 7^th year old that is celebrating her birthday with a new pair of eyewear!  Or to play with a toddler while his mum is getting an exam, or finding the time for our official group photo.

We could write for ever bout all the people that we met, but  we are very eager to share about the special group that attended our clinic toward the end of the day. All from Zoquitlan (South East of Puebla), this group traveled 8 hours by bus to come and see us. 8 hours! Compared to others, we couldn´t interact much with them, as they mostly spoke Nahuatl, a local dialect. Among them, theer were also kids, including Ceasar: 5 year old, bad vision and already went through a brain surgery. We were not able to find the right pair of glasses for him today, but thanks to Leona Dockery commitment and OneSight, he will be soon receive his custom-made glasses.

Enough of reading, time to jump to the images gallery!

ENJOY!

May 28, 2011

OneSight Mexico day 4: have you ever met 1,200+ kids in one day? we have! (English/Italian)

By gbertuzzo

QUESTION: what will a kid wearing eyewear for the first time do, upon slipping on a pair?

A) look astonished and stare at his/her hands..he/she has never seen them before

B) Simply say: I CAN SEE!

C) smile with the pure joy of whmo has received the gift of sight

D) all of the above

The right answer is D, and these are only a few examples of the reactions and emotions that filled our day number 3. More than 1,200 kids from 23 local schools visited our clinic today, setting a very unique environment for the volunteers. Kids from 8 to 12 years old (but some were definately much younger) were examined by our doctors, and received where applicable a pair of optical and of sun. Many of them never wore a pair before, and truly marveled at what might have seemed to them a little miracle! Many of them wer confident, other were nervous and maybe a bit scared... but they all behaved very bravely while going through medical examination and eyewear fitting. Working with kids is way different than working with adults, but all volunteers did a great job in making them confortable and relaxed...Overall they were all excited for the small trip, but we were all excited about how this can change their life: they will be able to read the blackboard, study more easily..and become accomplished men and women. You can find a few pictures in the image gallery, samples of today´s adventure. Every pair of eyes is important, but let' be honest: when those eyes have an entire life in front of them, it put the work into a different prespective!

At the end of the day, the team was "set free" for the evening, and several groups went out on their own to the city. We might have some updates tomorrow..but most likely what happens in Puebla, stays in Puebla!

Hasta manana!_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Oggi hanno visitato la nostra clinica piu' di 1,200 bambini provenienti da 23 scuole locali, creando una atmosfera piuttosto inusuale. I nostri dottori hanno visitato studenti tra gli 8 e i 12 anni (anche se molti erano ben piu´piccoli) prescrivendo occhiali da vista, quando necessario. Molti di loro non avevano mai indossato un paio di occhiali prima d'ora, e sono rimasti meravigliato a quello che dever essere sembrato loro un piccolo miracolo. Alcuni erano sicuri di se, altri un po' nervosi, altri ancora un po' impauriti.... ma tutti hanno dimostrato un gran coraggio sia durante la visita medica che durante la distribuzione degli occhiali. Avere a che fare con bambini e´molto diverso che trattare con gli adulti, ma tutti i volontari hanno fatto del loro meglio per metterli a proprio agio. Se loro erano entusiasti per la "gita fuori porta", noi lo eravamo ancora di piu' per il cambiamento che potenzialmente questo potrebbe portare nelle loro vite. Saranno infatti in grado di vedere la lavagna, studiare con piu' facilita' e diventare adulti realizzati. Le immagini qui sotto valgono piu' di mille parole. Gli occhi sono importanti per tutti, ma siamo onesti: questi bambini hanno tutta una vita davanti a loro!

A fine giornata, la serata e' stata libera per tutti i volontari, passata a gustare le prelibatezze locali nel centro storico di Puebla.

A domani!

May 26, 2011

OneSight Day 3: 1,264 patients celebrated with Mexican food!

By gbertuzzo

Greetings from Puebla!

The long hours and the hard work from yesterday didn´t affect the energy or enthusiasm of the team: by 7.30 am we were all on the road and READY!

Clinic opened sharply at 8.30 am, and the flow of patient came in steady all the day long. Overall by 5 pm we were able to take care of all the patients scheduled for today, 1,264! The entire team is getting mor e and mroe familiar with the different areas of the clinic, the different duties... and also our understanding of Spanish improved a lot! Many of us were able to interact with patients without a full-time intepreter.Definately a satisfaction for us, but also a key step to really bring the interaction with patients on a more human level

By talking to them we also got to know them, and learned a bit about them and their lifes. You can go to the picture gallery meet Silvia, Francisco, Angeles, ..and many others. Unfortunately we do not have the space to tell you about them: to share with you that Rosalina will her new glasses to embroider (her favourite hobby!), while Lucia told me she was sad she couldnt read the Bible anymore...A different patient, Paola, donated her old glasses (i think this is a first!!) after receiving a new, best suited pair for her vision. But they were not only thinking about themselves, but inquired about the clinic open hours as they wanted to send in friends and family as well.

At the end of the day, nothing better than a typical Mexican food: we went to the Hotel Coloniale, in the historical center fo Puebla. The typical dish is the mole poblano, a bean based sauce.

Most of the team is not sleeping...time to recover the energies for another long day. And tomorrow, will be a special one: we will infact welcome more than 1,000 kids (8-12 years old) from 23 local schools.

Stay tuned... the best has yet to come!

May 25, 2011

One Sight Mexico - Day 2: clinic opens and welcomes 1,487 patients

By gbertuzzo

At 7.30am sharp the team was ready to leave, and super-ready for the opening of the clinic. After yesterday's set up and training, we were all ready for ACTION!

When we got to the clinic, the site was already alive with governmental officials and local personalities invited to the opening ceremony. The global success of One Sight is also based on partnerships with key local associations, and the ceremony was the perfect occasion for all partners to meet. As soon as the last applause ended, we all jumped on our feet, eager to have the patients moving ahead - some of them had already been waiting for hours.

From then on, not a minute went by without a patient being visited, a pair of frame donated or a smile being gifted. We could start telling all the individual stories of the 1,487 patients visited today, and each team member would have a favourite memory to share  - and maybe a tear or two to hide.... we want to start sharing a few, more and more each day.

Among the hundreds of patients, we met 5 year olds getting their first pairs, mothers coming with their children, older ladies and gentlemen finally seeing clearly in their 80s...  at the end, it is never too early or to late to see clearly. At the end, all the patients in line met with passionate volunteers that continued to work well past sunset to bring the gift of sight. Eventually, every patients walked out with a pair of sunglasses and, whem in need a pair of optical. Some of the most serious cases, got medical referral and will be treated in the next months by local doctors.

To see with your eyes a sample of todays stories, please refer to attached images. And if you have comment and/or questions on what you read...you know where to find us!

May 24, 2011

One Sight Mexico - Day 1: Training

By gbertuzzo

For those wondering...we all arrived to Puebla safely!

Our adventure started with the team meeting at Mexico City airport and experiencing a little qui-pro-quo with the local custom - luckily all was solved but this will for sure make for a great story!

After sharing the 2.30-hour bus ride to Puebla, we were welcomed by hot pizza and had the chance to associate names to faces. Team members come from several different countries, including the USA, Canada, Italy, Brazil, South Africa, Poland, UK and Switzerland. All from different cultures, but all committed to bring quality eyecare to the people in Puebla. One of the neediest areas of Mexico, the average annual income is $207. Overall we are prepared to help 10,000 people during the clinic and yes, after a day of set up and training we are ready! Opening day is May 25th, 10 am ribbon cutting ceremony.

Today was dedicated to full preparation, including set up of the different areas, from registration to dispensing. At the same time, all team members were trained in the various areas familiarizing themselves with equipment and processes. It was a full day with great learnings  - for many of us was the first time using an autorrefractometro!

Excitement about tomorrow has been fueled with local mexican food and laughter....oh, yes, and tequila as well! just to support the local economy and agricultural products (hello blue agave!)

However, images speak louder than words and thanks to our photography captain Carolyn Rebelo we have alerady some pretty good snaps to share

Stay tuned for images from the opening celebration being held tomorrow, in addition to team photo including an exclusive appearance of a truly, special friend!

ENJOY!

 

 

May 17, 2011

Mexico Clinic 2011 - 5 days to departure!

By gbertuzzo

Hello!

Less than one week to the official start of One Sight Clinic to Mexico 2011! And the perfect time to open the mission’s official blog!

Our team of volunteers and doctors will land in Mexico on May 23, and spend 2 weeks just outside Puebla providing complete eye exams and eyewear to thousands of people that would not otherwise afford to see the world clearly.

We will start posting messages and pictures highlighting our days at the clinic, including stories of our recipients as well as sharing our own experiences, touching and fun, according to the moment!

Please do comment, and send messages to the volunteers: I am sure hearing from friends and family will make many volunteers’ day…and provide even more energy to a group that, mark down my words, seems already pretty energetic! :)

In addition, our team is running a FUNDRAISING to help fund our clinic: we have so far raised more than $8,000 (thanks everyone!), but we are still in need to reach our goal to raise $20,000.

Make your donation today at: http://onesight.donordrive.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.team&eventID=514&teamID=5084

In case you are not fully familiar, One Sight is a family of charitable programs dedicated to improving vision through outreach, research and education. Sponsored by Luxottica, One Sight programs have helped more than 7 million people (and counting!) over its 20-year history. Each year, One Sight conducts 2-week clinic when our doctors and trained volunteer provide free eye exams and eyewear to thousands of people in need. To date, One Sight has run nearly 200 clinics in 37 different countries….guess Mexico will be number 38^th??

So...countdown has started! 5 days to go!

Stay tuned!!