Mission Trip to Belize
This past May, we had the opportunity to support a mission trip to Belize. Students from the New England College of Optometry (NECO) have been traveling to Belize for over six years now, working hard to create a more sustainable eye care system. Despite these efforts, the need is still great. National Vision was able to donate readers and sunglasses to the mission trip.
About Belize
Belize is a country on the eastern coast of Central America. It is bordered on the north by Mexico, on the south and west by Guatemala and on the east by the Caribbean Sea. The northern part of Belize consists of mostly flat, swampy coastal plains and is heavily forested in some areas. The southern part of the country contains the mountain range of the Maya Mountains.
Tourism is vastly important for Belize’s small economy, followed by exports of crude oil, marine products, sugar, citrus and bananas. There are many things that attract tourists to Belize like the climate, barrier reef, safe waters for scuba diving, numerous rivers for rafting and various jungle and wildlife reserves. People visiting can visit Mayan ruins and explore the largest cave system in Central America.
Although Belize has the third highest per capita income in Central America, there is a huge income disparity between its rich and poor citizens. High unemployment, a growing trade deficit and heavy foreign debt continue to be major concerns.
Mission Trip to Belize
On May 28, 2016, the Fellowship of Christian Optometrists (FCO) at NECO, under the leadership of Dr. Peplinski (Kentucky) and Dr. Pelsor (Indiana), joined His Servants Ministries (HSM) to bring eye care to the people of Belize. HSM is a non-profit medical organization that finds areas of Belize that are in most need of eye care. This year, the group traveled to the Stann Creek District in southeastern Belize.
The team consisted of 13 second and third year Optometry students, 2 Optometrists and 3 support staff members. Over the course of just 5 days, the group provided comprehensive eye exams to 745 patients. They also dispensed glaucoma medications, ordered prescription glasses and referred patients for ocular surgeries.
The team conducted vision screenings on over 200 school-aged children (from pre-K through high school)! That brings the grand total of people helped on the Belize mission trip to nearly 1000 people!
The Impact of a Simple Pair of Readers
While in Belize, the team was able to see an elderly woman who traveled 3 hours to get to their clinic. She makes handmade trinkets with needle and thread and sells these items to visiting tourists. Thus, her livelihood depends on her ability to see and complete meticulous needlework designs. When she arrived at the clinic, she shared her increasing struggle to see the thread and to put it through the eye of the needle. She also mentioned the noticeable decrease in the precision of her threadwork over the years.
With this in mind, the team of student doctors was able to conduct a thorough eye exam on her. They checked her blood pressure to help rule out any possibilities of glaucoma and used a hand-held slit-lamp to check for any corneal or lens opacities. Given her medical history, they dilated her eyes and checked the back of the eye to rule out retinal and systemic diseases.
After finding her eyes to be healthy, they were able to solve her problem with a simple pair of over-the-counter readers with the correct power! With these glasses, the elderly woman was able to see 20/20 again. She was also given a pair of sunglasses and instructed to wear them while she sits by the side of the road waiting for customers. In one short hour, the team was able to correct her vision and help her to continue supporting herself and her family.
Testimonials
“Of the 314 millions of persons worldwide with blindness or low-vision, the vast majority of these are treatable. This means that the care we can provide with a single pair of glasses or arrangement for cataract surgery will contribute to one of the most cost-effective interventions in health care.”
Lee Peplinski, O.D., FAAO, Diplomate ABO
Team Belize Head Optometrist
“One thing that touched my heart in clinic today is the moment that I was able to appreciate the calm and gentle disposition of the local people. The patients here speak softly and gently, and they quietly waited in the seating area, some of them for hours, in anticipation of their exam. The exam room was hot, with no breeze to cool us down and no air conditioning. Everyone was covered in a layer of sweat. Yet no one complained of the heat, and the patients calmly waited until they were called in. I thought, if we were in America, the atmosphere would be different in this situation and people would be much more impatient and frustrated. I realized that the culture here is more laid back in terms of schedules, exams, and appointments. The people here in Belize are genuinely kind, gentle, humble, and grateful for everything they have. I’m blessed to say I have observed this in every one of our patients and have the opportunity to learn from it.”
Kim, O.D. Student
Team Belize
Pictures from Belize
Jessica Altamirano
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