THE SECOND ANNUAL CATARACT
DAYS WILL BE HELD.
A PROGRAM THAT OFFERS FREE
CATARACT SURGERY AND GLAUCOMA
CARE FOR UNINSURED AND
UNDER-INSURED RESIDENTS OF
HAWAII.
HERE TO TALK MORE ABOUT IT ARE
DR.
JEFFREY PETERSON OF JENKINS EYE
CARE AND DR. JOHN CORBOY,
FOUNDER
AND PRESIDENT OF THE HAWAIIAN
EYE
FOUNDATION.
1. Q-WHAT ORGANIZATIONS ARE
YOU REPRESENTING ? A-WE ARE
DELIGHTED TO BE
HERE TODAY FROM HAWAIIAN EYE
FOUNDATION, A LOCAL CHARITY
ORGANIZATION THAT FOCUSES ON
PROVIDING COMPASSIONATE
VISION CARE THROUGH OUR
INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN
MISSIONS. WE PROVIDE EYE EXAMS
AND SURGERIES TO BLIND PATIENTS
IN
REMOVE VILLAGES AROUND THE
WORLD.
WE ARE COMMITTED TO SERVICE,
EDUCATION, ENCOURAGING
OTHERS TO HELP CURE NEEDLESS
BLINDNESS AND BUILD SELF-
SUSTAINABLE CLINICS. TODAY WE
ALSO REPRESENT OUR PARTNER
ORGANIZATION, PROJECT VISION
HAWAI'I, WHO PROVIDED THE
SCREENINGS OF THOUSANDS OF
PATIENTS TO HELP US IDENTIFY OUR
PATIENTS. AND WE HAVE WITH US
TODAY, THE OPHTHALMOLOGISTS,
DRS. JENKINS AND PETERSON, FROM
THE RENOWNED JENKINS EYE CARE
AND SURGICAL SUITES WHO ARE OUR
GENEROUS VOLUNTEERS THIS
YEAR. THEY ARE KINDLY DONATING
THEIR TIME, SURGICAL SKILLS
AND THEIR OFFICE FOR OUR
PATIENTS IN
NEED. THEIR ENTIRE STAFF AT
JENKINS
EYE CARE AND PARTNERS AT
SURGICAL SUITES ARE HELPING OUR
PATIENTS, THIS YEAR FROM O'AHU,
MOLOKA'I AND MAUI, TO SEE
CLEARLY.
2. Q-TELL US ABOUT THE PROGRAM,
HOW
IT GOT STARTED AND WHO YOU ARE
SERVING?
A-JENKINS EYE CARE DID THE FIRST
ROUND OF FREE SURGERIES A FEW
YEARS AGO FOR A PATIENT THAT
PROJECT VISION HAWAI'I
IDENTIFIED
AS NEEDING SURGERY. HE WAS
HOMELESS AND DID NOT HAVE
INSURANCE. WE WERE ABLE TO GIVE
HIM THE CARE WE NEEDED AND WE
PAVED THE WAY FOR THIS ANNUAL
ISLAND-WIDE PROGRAM CALLED
CATARACT DAYS THAT WE ARE HERE
TO
PRESENT TO YOU TODAY. WE ARE
OFFERING FREE SURGERIES TO
PATIENTS WHO CANNOT AFFORD THE
SURGERY. WE CAN SERVE PATIENTS
THAT DO NOT HAVE INSURANCE, OR
THOSE WITH INSURANCE BUT
BELOW A CERTAIN HOUSEHOLD INCOME
LEVEL. OUR GOAL IS TO ASSIST
PATIENTS
WHO HAVE SUFFERED WITH
CATARACTS, BUT BECAUSE OF THEIR
PERSONAL SITUATION - WHETHER IT
IS
POVERTY, HOMELESSNESS, LACK OF
INSURANCE COVERAGE - HAVE
NOT BEEN ABLE TO OBTAIN THE
SURGERY. WE WANT TO HELP
VETERANS,
IMMIGRANTS, KUPUNA, THOSE WHO
OTHERWISE CANNOT GET THE CARE
THEY
NEED TO REMOVE THEIR CATARACTS.
DOING SO MAY MAKE IT POSSIBLE
FOR
THEM TO WORK, DRIVE MORE SAFELY
AND BE MORE INDEPENDENT.
RESTORING SIGHT IS ALSO AN
IMPORTANT
FORM OF FALL PREVENTION FOR OUR
KUPUNA. SOME OF OUR PATIENTS
ARE WORKING INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE
OTHER FINANCIAL OR
FAMILIAL ISSUES THAT DO NOT
ALLOW
THEM THE SPARE FUNDS. THEY HAVE
LIMITED INCOME AND CANNOT AFFORD
TO
PAY THE COSTS OF SURGERY. WE ARE
DOING THIS FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NO
OTHER OPTIONS AND BUT COULD LIVE
MORE PRODUCTIVE LIVES IF THEY
COULD
SEE CLEARLY.
A SIMPLE, 10 MINUTE PROCEDURE
REMOVES THE CATARACT FROM THE
EYE AND REPLACES THE OLD LENS
WITH
A NEW LENS! IN THAT SHORT
PERIOD OF
TIME, THE PATIENT CAN SEE LIKE
NEW
AGAIN! CATARACTS ARE THE
LEADING
CAUSE OF WORLD BLINDNESS. THE
CONDITION IS A CLOUDING OF THE
LENS WITHIN THE EYE. A HARD,
WHITE
LAYER COVERS THE IRIS AND BLURS
THE
VISION. OVER TIME, A SIMPLE, 10
MINUTE
PROCEDURE REMOVES THE CATARACT
FROM THE EYE AND REPLACES
THE OLD LENS WITH A NEW LENS! IN
THAT
SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, THE
PATIENT
CAN SEE LIKE NEW AGAIN!
CATARACTS
ARE THE LEADING CAUSE OF WORLD
BLINDNESS. THE CONDITION IS A
CLOUDING OF THE LENS WITHIN THE
EYE. A HARD, WHITE LAYER COVERS
THE
IRIS AND BLURS THE VISION. OVER
TIME,
THE CATARACT EVENTUALLY BLOCKS
THEIR SIGHT AND CAUSES
BLINDNESS. IT ISN'T A MATTER OF
IF, IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF WHEN!
THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT THIS
CONDITION IS COMPLETELY CURABLE!
1. Q-HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE? AND
MORE INFORMATION. SPREAD THE
WORD TO YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS.
AGENCIES AND DOCTORS: PLEASE LET
TO YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS.
AGENCIES AND DOCTORS: PLEASE LET
US
KNOW IF ANY OF YOUR PATIENTS
COULD UTILIZE THIS SERVICE.
KRIS:
COMING UP NEXT... A QUICK CHECK