Optometry Professor and Students Travel to Honduras and Help Over 1,000 People

Honduras SVOSH TeamLast month we had the privilege of supporting a mission trip to Roatan, Honduras.

Alissa Proctor, OD, a Professor at Northeastern State University College of Optometry, traveled to Honduras with her SVOSH group of 17 students and one other optometrist.

In just a week they were able to perform 747 complete eye exams and distributed 1,587 glasses! This included 349 reading glasses, 930 sunglasses and 308 prescription glasses.

Thanks to our partnership with Restoring Vision we were able to support this group with a donated glasses pack of 300 reading glasses and 100 sunglasses.

Testimonials

Honduras SVOSH Children

Dr. Proctor says: “I’ve been looking forward to this trip since starting optometry school! Traveling and helping those in need are my two main passions and being able to combine them was awesome. There were many great moments during clinics with hugs and smiles in return for our time. I loved being able to focus on giving to others without distractions.”

She adds: “One of my favorite memories is working with a young girl who needed glasses badly. One of the volunteers and I were very surprised to see how high her prescription was and worked hard to find her the best options we could. We were unsure if she would start wearing the glasses so we even gave her a second pair that was a little weaker to get her used to glasses. Then on the bus ride home that day we saw her with her glasses on, waving and smiling to us! I can’t wait to go next year!!”

 

Honduras SVOSH Volunteer With Little Girl

SVOSH Volunteer says:

“On my recent trip to Roatan, Honduras with my school’s SVOSH team, I got to meet Kysha, a 7-year-old sweetie who showed me what bravery looks like. After losing her dad to AIDS last month, she hasn’t spoken to hardly anyone. She silently held back tears while we dilated her eyes and waited hours to get her first pair of glasses. She was so excited, and I asked her if we could take a picture. I knelt down next to her to be her height, and then she knelt down beside me, probably thinking that we Americans always get on our knees to take pictures. Seeing Kysha stand tall and walk out that day was cooler than I can describe. Let’s just say my heart was singing.”

 

Honduras SVOSH Volunteer With Man

Another SVOSH Volunteer says:

“This man was an amputee from diabetic complications.  He desperately wanted to read his Bible.  A pair of reading glasses made him tremendously happy…and it made our hearts happy too!”

Jessica Altamirano

Jessica Altamirano

Communications Specialist at National Vision
Jessica Altamirano is a proud Veteran spouse who has worked for NVI since 2014. She holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia and a Masters Degree in Public Administration from George Mason University. Jessica is passionate about corporate-nonprofit partnerships, philanthropic efforts in developing countries, Veteran recruitment, and creating a culture of health and wellness in the workplace.
Jessica Altamirano