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Mission takes rocky road to success in MexicoBy David LeaAfter patients gave their personal historieson the surface of the eye because of exposure toOAKVILLE BEAVER STAFFand listed the visual problems they were havingtoo much sun.they were screened for cataracts, diabetes andA lot of the people we helped worked out-It got off to a rocky start, but an Oakvilleother ocular disorders and diseases.doors. Theyre farmers or they do constructionoptometrist is calling a recent trip to Mexico toSome conditions could be treated with med-and they dont wear adequate sun protection,deliver much needed eye care a resounding suc-ication the group brought with them whilesaid Agarwal.cess with more than 850 patients seen in oneother conditions could be corrected by givingSo they develop this pterygium, whichweek.the patient a pair of glasses.develops overtop of the eye and eventuallyDr. Sanjay Agarwal of Great Lakes OptometryIf the patient needed glasses, the prescriptioncauses you to lose your sight because you cantand 11 students from the University of Waterlooand size were determined through equipmentsee through the growth.School of Optometry journeyed to the city of the clinic staff brought with them.As cataracts and pterygium require surgeryZihuatanejo last month as part of an effort for IFor Februarys trip, Agarwals group broughtto be corrected, patients diagnosed with theseCare International.a glasses library of around 6,000 donated pairs,conditions were placed on a surgical list so anThe registered Canadian charity, formed bywhich were provided to patients as needed.American ophthalmologist can see them whenAgarwal in 1999, sees Agarwal and groups of On the first day of the clinic, however, provid-he arrives in June.optometry students donate their time to provideing all these services did not run smoothly.While the students received a lifetime of free eye care to underprivileged people in placesWe took down 10 second-year students andexperience from their adventure to Mexico,Dr. Sanjay Agarwal like Mexico.one third year and because of that we didnt haveAgarwal said fulfilling his desire to teach andThis was not Agarwals first visit toa lot of experience. A lot of students didnt knowknowing that he was helping people, who reallyhad more translators and it just went more Zihuatanejo.all the testing, said Agarwal.needed his help, were the main things he got outsmoothly, he said.In 2009, Agarwal and 13 optometry studentsOur first day was quite rough. We were of the experience.After that, it just took off. The students were set up a one-week eye care clinic within the city,scrambling around. The students were really There was one child, who had an eye turnmore comfortable, so we started to increase the which served around 1,100 people.frustrated. They were stressed out. There was a and we gave him a pair of glasses. He was a highnumber of patients we saw per day and in the There is no shortage of need for the servicespoint where they didnt want to do the next four plus prescription and his eyes just straightenedend we saw 850 people in five days. So it worked the charity provides.days.out right away, said Agarwal. He wont have aout really well.We could be there for a month and not seeCommunication barriers between the stu-lazy eye anymore, so that will change his visionAgarwal said during this period the students everybody, said Agarwal in a previous interview.dents and the patients only added to this frustra-for the rest of his life.see more ocular diseases and disorders than they The lineups are long and people wait hours andtion. That night Agarwal assured the students Agarwal is hoping to bring his next eye carewill probably see in 20 years of clinical practice hours in the sun to see us because they have nothe situation would improve and they just clinic to somewhere in South America.in Canada.other hope of getting eye care.needed to stick with it.For more information, e-mail Agarwal atSome of the more common ailments the This years clinic, set up in a local shelter,The following day, it got much better. They sagarwal52@hotmail.com or visit www.icarein-clinic encountered included cataracts and a dis-offered numerous services to those in need.were a lot more comfortable with the testing, we ternational.ca.order called pterygium where a growth occurs Your Neighbourhood Toy StoreMarch Break Madness!DRAWS FOR GREAT PRIZES EVERYDAY!Special Guest Visit:Christian Potenza of Teletoons Total Drama IslandTuesday, March 15th from 10:00 to 12:00 Oakville Location Only OAKVILLEMILTON245 Lakeshore Rd. E. 223 Main St. E.tel: (905)-844-5363tel: (905)-878-0084www.insideHALTON.com OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday, March 9, 2011 10