The Foundation finished it's first mission on January 12, 2008 and it's 2nd mission on June 18,2008. They were very important and historic missions because they were the first missions that the mobile vision clinic was used. It is also historic because  in only 6 months the foundation has set records for the number of indigents that received eye examinations and received eyeglasses. There were 16 days of clinics, 14 different Barangays , a total of 3,098 indigents were examined, 2,989 received eyeglasses, 307 bottles of eye medication were dispensed and over 250 were referred for much needed eye surgeries. This was all at no cost to the rural poor recipients.

                    Here you can ride along in the mobile clinic

The Roads get muddy, crowded, narrow & taking 90 degree corners difficult. Overhanging low trees, narrow gates and carabao in the road also challenging

Here are just a few people who's lives were greatly changed in 2008 by the foundation

Gladys, a 4th grader that couldn't read the big E on the Chart standing only two feet in front of it. She had to come back in tears to hug and thank the doctor after receiving her glasses of -9.50 power each eye. Everyone got a good cry.

Irene, a first grader, was found to have 20/800 Vision. This means that what a person with normal vision can see at 800 feet, she would have to get up to 20 feet to see it. She could not see the board in school. Dr. put her prescription in a trial frame and she got so excited about being able to see, she did not want to give the trial frames and lenses back. She wanted to wear them. Ellen took her by the hand and went to the dispensary and found a pair of glasses for her and her smile tells it all. She received a Rx of -7.00 Diopters each eye.

The Little girl below has exotropia right eye. Notice how her right eye is looking to the right while her left eye is looking straight ahead. She was quite farsighted. After receiving her prescription eyeglasses, notice that both eyes are in alignment.

Below is a small boy with accommodative esotropia (very farsighted so when he focuses to see well, his eyes turn in) with high plus lenses he doesn't have to focus at distance to see and his eyes do straighten out.

This young lady below came in wearing spectacles that were too weak and broken. They were replaced with a stronger Rx around -11.00 D that had thinner high index and anti reflection coated hard resin lenses. She was so happy that she cried like a baby for about 5 minutes.

Below is a child with a lid infection that was given medication to resolve the condition. The other picture is a young lady who came  because she couldn't see at distance. She had never worn spectacles before. Her unaided vision was 20/600 both eyes. She now  can see clearly again.

In summery, the mobile clinic or "the clinic on wheels" worked well. The equipment did not have to be carried from barangay to barangay. It stays aboard the bus and only the eyeglasses had to be moved out of the bus to be dispensed. Pop up 12' X 12'  tents were used outside the bus. One was used for registration and the other was used for dispensing eyeglasses.  Now the set up and the packing up takes only 30 minutes each where before it had to be transported by sugar cane truck and pick up truck and it had to be set up the night before the clinics. It took several hours to repack the supplies and equipment and then had to be put in storage until the next day of clinic. The foundation also can now go to other islands to serve the people. The next scheduled medical vision mission is going to be in December of 2008 and we will be transporting the mobile clinic to other islands.

OTHER VISION MISSIONS:

While in the Barangay Bacong  a first grade teacher brought in Grace who was one of her students. Grace couldn't see the board nor could she see to read. She had never had never seen a eye doctor before. Her eyes were also crossed. Her condition fooled the auto refractor but not the doctor. Dr. determined that she had Accommodative Esotropia. A retinascope was used to determine to refractive error which was a huge +9.00D right eye and +8.75D left. After finding a pair of glasses with her prescription she became elated when she could see at near and distance. With her new glasses her eyes straightened out quite a bit. Her left eye still turns in a little but she still very happy. She returned later that day with her mother who was so moved by the change in her daughter that she said that she had never seen Grace have a smile that big. Her mother, who was also very farsighted, also received and eye examination and glasses and was in tears when she left and made a point to thank each and every volunteer.

Below is a Joel, from the rice fields of Barangay Pacol, who was twelve, who came in with his mother. He had a total corneal scar on his right eye with no vision and stated that he couldn't see the board with his left eye. He could see at near, but had to hold things near his nose. He had never had an eye exam before Dr. Weyrich determined that he needed a - 6.25 -4.50 X 95  left eye. It is too bad that all of you could not experience the pure joy of witnessing someone being able to see at distance for the first time.

Not too long after the little boy was seen, the very same day a 7th grade girl came through the  line who had micro ophthalmus (extremely small eyes). She also had never seen an eye doctor before. Her right eye had a cyst as well and had no vision, her left eye however was a little larger than the right eye, but was still very, very farsighted because smallness of the eye. Dr. determined her prescription and now she can see considerably better at far and at near, something she has never been able to do in her life. You can see by her expression how she felt the minute she received her glasses.

Patients like these are the ones who motivate EyeCare WeCare Foundation Volunteers to keep wanting to serve again. It is very addictive, the more you serve, the more you want to serve. We would encourage any of you that view this website, if you feel called to contribute to this worthy cause volunteer with the foundation, please contact us.

Send mail to info@eyecarewecare.org with questions or comments about this web site.
Last modified: 07/06/08