Giving the Gift of Sight Across the Globe

Dr. Alan Stern, an ophthalmologist with Starling Physicians, his wife Cyndi, a public health professional, and Vickey Rivera, a Spanish-speaking Starling eye technician, have recently returned from an eye surgery mission trip to Honduras. This was Dr. Stern’s eighth trip with Vision Health International – an organization committed to bringing free medical, surgical, and educational vision healthcare services to medically underserved populations in Latin America. Dr. Stern serves as a board member of the organization.

On this recent visit, the team provided cataract surgery, as well as visits to surrounding towns and villages providing basic eye care, vision screenings, and measuring for prescription glasses. They performed 56 eye surgeries and gave out 668 pair of eyeglasses during the trip.

The mission trip was filled with many special moments and Dr. Stern shares one experience that stands out. An elderly lady had not seen from her eyes for five years and underwent cataract surgery. The next day when the bandages were removed, she was amazed at the brightness of the colors and how beautiful everyone looked.

Honduras is the second poorest country in Central America and access to specialty care is out of reach for most citizens. Sixty five percent of the population lives in poverty. Dr. Stern notes that after a week in such an environment, you realize how lucky Americans are, and how many of our problems are trivial compared to what these people face on a daily basis.

To learn more about Vision Health International and their amazing work, visit their Facebook page.