Sue Laskowski, a dispensing optician at BayCare Clinic Eye Specialists, ventured to the Dominican Republic earlier this year for her 33rd eye mission.
“Giving the gift of sight makes the world a better place,” Sue said, reflecting on all her missions.
For her most recent mission, she went with a group that included two optometrists, one dentist and eight support staff from Wisconsin Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity (VOSH). They provided eye exams to 1,445 people in the community of Comendador in the Elisa Pina province. Patients ranged in age, from one to 113, and were fitted with used eyeglasses that were as close as possible to their prescription. Each of the VOSH team members brought at least 300 pairs of used eyeglasses in their suitcases, along with tools and equipment. The clinic was set up at the local museum, providing them with the best source of electricity possible.
Sue is committed to going on these missions because she knows they truly impact the lives of the patients they help.
“The blessings we received and smiles on their faces makes each mission so rewarding,” Sue said. “Knowing we are giving each person a better quality of life warms my heart.”
For many of the group’s patients, a clinic like this will be the only eye care they receive in their lifetime. Comendador is home to nearly 44,000 and borders Haiti in the poorest region of the Dominican Republic. Most of the people in the area are farmers of coffee, sugarcane, beans, rice, plantains, bananas and yuca.
These missions rely on donations, including used eyeglasses. If you’re interested in learning more about these mission trips or VOSH and its mission to bring vision to every person on the planet, please visit their website.