On Friday, October 24th, 2008: Friends Across the Border headed south to do a vision-screening clinic with
the Sonora-Baja Lions Club. We left our Yucaipa staging area at 6:45am and by
10:30 am we had arrived at Barrett’s Junction for a mid morning snack. By
noon we were across the border and waiting for some of our party to return from making a run to the local store. We arrived at our destination in K-57 at 4:30pm and waited for school to get out at 5:30pm.
With
school out we quickly set up our bedding, eye equipment and eyeglasses for the next day’s clinic. We had a nice social evening and meal with the local Lions and their families. Afterward we had a Friends Across the Border business meeting and retired for the sack about 9:30pm.
The
clinic on Saturday the 25th, began at 6:00am and finished with the
last patient of the day leaving with their recycled eyeglasses at 4:30pm.
Listed below is a synopsis of the day’s clinical findings:
Ø 419 patients
were seen for the day.
Ø Of the 391
patients, 18 needed no prescription, 10 need their prescription made at the optical laboratory and the balance received recycled
eyeglasses.
Ø 14 patients
need cataract surgery on at least one eye.
Ø 2 patients
need treatment for a secondary cataract
Ø 7 patients
need treatment for glaucoma
Ø 3 patients
need a pterygium excision on at least one eye.
Ø 1 patient
needs treatment for diabetic maculopathy
Ø 1 patient
needs laser peripheral iridotomies for narrow anterior chamber angles.
After
the clinic we sat down to great food, music and conversation with the Lions and their families. Most of us enjoyed the music till 9:00pm and slowly over the next few hours we had all retired for the
evening.
On
Sunday the 26th, the clinic started at 6:30 am with the last patient of the day leaving with their recycled eyeglasses
at 12:30pm.
Listed below is a synopsis of the day’s clinical findings:
Ø 252
patients were seen for the day.
Ø Of the
252 patients, 13 needed no prescription, 8 need their prescription made at the optical laboratory and the balance received
recycled eyeglasses.
Ø 10 patients
need cataract surgery on at least one eye.
Ø 1 patient
needs treatment for diabetic maculopathy
Ø 2 patients
need treatment for proliferative diabetic retinopathy
Ø 1 patient
need pterygium excision on at least one eye
Ø 2 patients
need treatment for glaucoma
Ø 1 patient
needs a work up for optic disc pallor
Throughout
the 2 days of the clinic, Lion Linda was assisting the local population with her free Mercado.
After the equipment, eyeglasses and sleeping gear was repacked we sat down to a nice lunch with the Lions. With salutations said and our group picture taken we headed home at 2:00pm.
By 4:30pm we had arrived at the border crossing in Tecate and by 5:45pm we had all crossed the border and were headed
home. By 10:00pm we had arrived at our last staging area in Yucaipa.
It was a nice trip for all involved and
showed the teamwork needed to make this program work.
Listed below are those that participated directly in the Clinic
Mexico:
Sonora Baja Lions Club: Antonia Maouiver, Benito Vega, Jorge, Rodrigo Peula, Amparo, Javier Magna, Juan Carlos,
Vicente and Rodrigo.
Tecate Lions Club: Clemente Maldonado
Non-Lions:
USA:
Palm Springs Lions Club: George Valuer
Yucaipa Lions Club: Carl Decker, June Decker and Nita Allgower
Big Bear Sunset Lions Club: Linda Peroutka
Ramona Valley Lions Club: Rosalie Baca
Rialto Lions Club: Joe Delgado
Apple Valley Lions Club: Doris Hooker
Calimesa Breakfast Lions Club: Don Ranney, Pat Ranney, Kaleb Ranney, Lucy Manning, Rob Manning, Steve Fedor, Ron
Meader, Jim Selby, Pati Van Dusen and Brian Van Dusen.
Non-Lions: Andrea Ranney, Nancy MacFadden and Linda Donoso.
