TWECS 2015 TACLOBAN TRIP

Glasses given on 2015 Tacloban Trip 5355

Eight clinic days into our mission to the Philippines and I am overwhelmed; not by the hard work, the heat, nor the lines waiting for us each morning, but by the gracious, humble and happy people I’ve been blessed to cross paths with. Each day I’m met with at least 500 smiles as I work with patients, pass people on the street or when a group of adorable kids, like these (that’s Richie in the middle), who as we were closing down today came up and asked me where I was from and introduced himself. I’m also overwhelmed by how lucky I am to have been blessed with the ability to have had eye care since age three. While it broke my dad’s heart his son had to wear “Coke bottle” glasses at a young age, that gift of sight allowed me to have the life I have. Each day as I auto-refract patients (technology that provides the eye doctors a starting RX) we come across at least a handful of people aged 9 to over 60, whose RX either matches or supersedes mine and they have never owned a pair of glasses. I can’t even imagine my life without my corrected vision. As a related note and one of my favourite moments of the trip thus far, was being able to give an old pair of my glasses to a young man, who had an almost exact RX as mine, yet never owned a pair of glasses. He was both shocked (seeing life clearly for the first time) and very thankful for his “new” pair of glasses. (Shameless plug: please donate your old glasses, you may change someone’s life).
The other thing that sticks out to me is the happy people I see each day lost so much two years ago during typhoon Yolanda, but that has not stopped them from rebuilding and moving on with their lives. While I came here to help, I’m leaving with a life lesson taught to me by the men, women and children of the Philippine island of Leyte, no matter what comes in your path you find the strength to forge on, and you do it with a smile.

Walley Wargolet

A Universal Family

“Shah ahn, ecca du ha?” I am sure that is not how it is written, but basically that is how it sounds to me all day: “one or two, which is better?” I can’t seem to get away from that phrase even ten thousand miles from my office. My interpreter/assistant on this whole trip so far, a young registered nurse named Lynn, says it all day, and it is ringing in my ears as I write this. Here is a picture of me and Lynn at the Tacloban Hospital.

 When we arrived this morning to our clinic site in Tunauan, there were already hundreds and hundreds of people lined up outside.  The mass of bodies is a little daunting when we arrive.  But this is our seventh straight day, and so our team is starting to get comfortable with what to do and what their roles are. So within minutes of arrival the day is off and running.  We examine people in a stage by stage setting. The first stage is registering people with their name, age, chief compliant, etc, and measuring their visual acuity at distance and near.

A 59 year old woman who is -9.00 (unlike the last lady, she can see her hands a few inches from her face but cannot recognize how many fingers you hold up more than 3 feet from her face)-who last had a pair of glasses when she was in high school. Why did she go almost her whole life without replacing them?  Honestly, I don’t know: poverty?, prioritizing her children over herself?, adapting to not seeing and forgetting what it was like?  Seems unimaginable to me.

Love you.

Ten years ago I decided to go on my first Third World Eye Care Society eye care project. November 2005 brought me to the beautiful City of Tacloban, Philippines for an eye care mission. I was so unsure of what to expect . Could I survive without the comfortable lifestyle I was privileged to be born into? Being able to make choices each day of what to wear, what to eat, should I have a shower or a nice warm bath? I survived the project and learned to appreciate these most humble kind and grateful people; that would only take one cracker from the big tin so that others in the line would get their share. They showed me me how happy a simple life can be with friends, family and a close community . I feel so privileged to be part of this TWECS Mission along with all of my teammates. Thank you Marina and Derrick for inviting us to help make the world a better place.

Brenda Tosoff

I was dropped in Tacloban the day of the Paris shootings and during the APEC meetings. As the world resumed it’s usual behaviors of destruction, greed and insensibility we were gearing up to heal those destroyed and victimized in Tacloban. It has been 2 years since SuperStorm Haiyan and it has been 2 years since TWECS has been here last. There were many different journeys that led to this united effort to alleviate a community still rebuilding. There is the 3 Filipinas stories, the single mother story, father and son story, the husband and wife story, the brothers’ story, the husband and husband story, the retired Seniors story, the hair stylist and socialite story and of course The Marina and Derrick story. A Motley crew of strangers dedicated to balance the wrongs in the world armored only with their own two individual hands. We Canadians and Americans tend to live in our bubble of convenience and comfort. We don’t realize that there are people who have to make decisions we don’t ever have to contemplate about. Most of us won’t have to decide whether we should get eyeglasses or put food on the table. Sustenance will always be granted first. Eyeglasses are not just eyeglasses, they are your eyes! We helped a woman who can only see an inch away from her face. Can u imagine living an inch at a time? We got her eyeglasses that let her see 2 feet in front of her. Might not sound much but cooking would be easier for her, walking is probably easier for her and so on and on. She has been freed from her limitations. TWECS Philippines 2015 is riddled with stories like this. So go ahead World, continue your greed and destruction, there are those of us fierce enough to right your wrongs. Goodbye Tacloban and Tanauan, I came to help but I got more than I gave. It has been a pleasure serving you.

I saw a picture of a sign that read “Homeless,roofless, not hopeless”. This trip has, in some sense, broken this life down to a simple truth. It feels good to be cared for, and to provide care. It feels good to love and be loved. At this time of year when the people of the Philippines are decorating for Christmas I am reminded of the importance of “faith, hope and love”. Thanks to all the members of our team for your tireless efforts, and thanks to those following our journey on the blog and on Facebook pages for your kind support.

Blessings to all,

Randy Smart

When we first drove into Tanauan I noticed first how much  it has rebuilt.  So many houses are now somewhat livable and the tents are gone.  Mass grave sites have been memorialized.  The town square is alive again with laughter and music in the evenings.  Word had spread that we were coming and my sister-in-law already had a list of 40 names that wanted to be seen.

Once we told them the protocol of first come first serve,  no one gave us a hassle but instead got up at 4am to get in line with the many other people that decided to show up early (clinic opened at 7am).  By the last day, people had started lining up at 1am.

Even if they had to wait all day they were still smiling and happy to receive their new pair of glasses.  And all left with new found hope.    I have been able to talk to people I haven’t seen in a long time.   We were able to service over 2000 people from the town of Tanauan and yet we had to turn over 200 people away which is why I was happy that we decided to add clinic days here.  I am proud to come along with my daughter on this mission.  It has been an unforgettable experience.

Olivia Mestito, Manitoba