January 2023 Missions Trip
It’s hard to believe it has been 18 years since our first trip to Roatan, Honduras. At that time, we were little more than a small team setting up mobile screening clinics to quantify the types of eye problems on this small island 30 miles off the mainland of Honduras. Not surprisingly we found a high incidence of cataracts and advanced glaucoma, leaving many legally blind. At that time the population was around 60,000 and there was no eyecare facility at all. Only those that could afford traveling to the mainland had any options to even basic eyecare that we take for granted here in the US.
Jump forward now, 18 years later, and now the island of over 100,000 population has access to our established eyecare facility which operates out of an existing medical clinic known as Vessels of Mercy. The facility is located central island in the town of French Key to improve accessibility to all on the island. We have a dedicated clinic and operating room with the latest equipment and supplies needed to provide care at the level we are used to in the states. Thankfully, Alcon Missions donates nearly $100,000 worth of surgical supplies to our mission each year. This allows us to provide cataract surgery for as little as $100 per patient (to cover the few supplies the mission has to purchase outside of donated materials). Just another way supporters can truly provide someone with eye surgery through a single $100 donation to our mission!
Our first trip in 2023 took place January 28-February 7 and consisted of a team of 22 volunteers which included 6 surgeons (from VA, NC, CT and TN), 3 OR scrub nurses (from VA, NC and AL) and a host of eye technicians (from VA, NC, TN and VT). We also had one medical student and the rest were ‘non-medical’ volunteers. Each played a valuable role in delivering the highest quality of care to over 300 patients evaluated and 75 that received either cataract or pterygium surgery (pterygium being a growth over the front cornea surface, common to equatorial regions of the world and a cause for treatable blindness). Most patients treated surgically went from a state of legal blindness to independent and functional vision as early as one day after surgery. 
Not surprisingly, the clinic was full of teary eyes on post op days where we witnesses the results first hand. And it’s not just cataracts or pterygia causing blindness. We dispensed over 50 pair of prescription eyeglasses, donated from our own patients back home, to patients correcting many from a state of legal blindness to restored functional vision. One was a 14 year-old girl who was 20/200 (the definition of legal blindness). A pair of glasses brought her to 20/30 and the world was now suddenly bright and clear for the first time in her life.
One young man walked in having a piece of metal hit his eye. His regular doctor gave him an antibiotic and told him nothing else should be done. He heard we were in the clinic and came to be sure. By that time infection had begun inside his eye which, if left alone, would have lead to loss of the eye and any chance of useful vision. We took him to surgery, washed out some of the infection and determined that there was probably a piece of metal deeper in the eye that required more specialized care. We injected antibiotics into the eye to help fight infections and coordinated care with a Honduran ophthalmologist, Dr. Diego Ponce, who operated to remove a fragment of metal in the eye. He also required an artificial lens as the foreign body damaged his natural lens. So far, he is doing quite well and should have restored vision. Thankfully our clinic was open and he decided to come in, otherwise he would have likely lost his vision completely. It’s a blessing to have the support of Dr. Ponce who has been very instrumental in the success and growth of our mission and shares the desire to bring eyecare to all of Roatan.
Another highlight for us was in doing eye examinations to over 20 children from a local orphanage. With games and songs, the kids and volunteers had a great time together. We took that time to share God’s message of love since Valentine’s Day was just around the corner.
Another team is headed down in March, led by Dr. Amber Hoang, an ophthalmologist from Duke. Dr. Dan Solverson, from Wisconsin will be there in early April, followed by Dr. Jenny Yu, an oculoplastic surgeon from Pittsburg. A shipment of over $100,000 worth of donated diagnostic equipment is on its way to allow for more thorough patient evaluations. We are in the process of hiring and training an ophthalmic technician. Kallie Vallecillo, an RN who lives in Roatan, serves as our Director and plays a vital role in managing the clinic and organizing teams that come and serve.
The past 18 years has been an amazing journey. God has given us the unique privilege of helping to establish eyecare to a large population in need. The involvement of surgeons from across the country and from reputable institutions including Duke and Yale, has truly exceeded any expectations we ever had. We are committed in carrying on God’s work in Roatan and appreciate the many that support this mission through prayer and financial support.
