| Eyeglasses & Medical Help |
Symphonies of Hope– Choirs of Faith
| Orchestras & Choirs Serving in God's Love |
| Symphonies of Hope Chris & Coleen Anderson P.O. Box 1061, Pharr, TX 78577 In the U.S. : 608 - 313 - HOPE Message phone in U.S. : 956-781-5133 Email: chriscoleen@symphoniesofhope.org Email: chriscoleen@choirsoffaith.org |
| SymphoniesOfHope.Org ChoirsOfFaith.Org SinfoniasDeEsperanza.Org CorosDeFe.Org |
| Eye care continues to be an important need for many people in the poorer places of México and Guatemala. For those who work in the field the intense sun, wind, and dirt often leads to pterigyum—a slow over growth of tissue that can eventually cover the pupil. Though we have the necessary equipment to test for corrective lenses, most often vision deficits are caused by underlying problems that are not easily resolved—cataracts, birth conditions, diabetes, etc… When we find individuals in otherwise good health that have a simply corrected condition of nearsightedness or farsightedness we certainly do what we can. |
| Sandra– Little girl in the mountains of Guatemala… blind since a baby due to an untreated eye infection… Five years ago she had surgery to remove one eye and had a glass eye given to her by the surgeon in Guatemala City. Sadly we heard later that her parents stopped using the glass eye because it was too much trouble to clean. |
| As we spend time in different communities we try to keep our eyes open to medical needs. We don’t have the resources to operate free clinics but we are able to identify many problems and guide persons to receiving the necessary help they need. Simple skills like managing a high fever, checking blood sugar, and blood pressure can make a big difference sometimes. People are often unsure whether to seek medical help or not. On one occasion we were asked if we had any vitamins or pills we would give a lady nearby. We went to visit. We found a woman of 50 years who was suffering from a large out of control infection of her leg. When we checked her blood pressure she didn’t have any. After rushing her to the hospital she died 3 hours later. Often times villagers have a great mistrust and fear for modern doctors. While some of this mistrust is valid, often the result is a situation that turns more complicated and dangerous. Frequently it is a help just to explain to a patient clearly what their illness is. Many are just afraid to go to a doctor or hospital by themselves so when we have time we do what we can. |
| Above: A boy in Guatemala that was severely burned when fireworks in his pants pocket ignited. The family was too poor to pay for skin grafts. |
| Above: A baby in Guatemala born with a cleft lip. He later received a surgery to correct the problem. We hope to see him this year. |
| Lucy—A little girl in Guatemala with severe fungus infection on her feet—Much improvement was seen after a couple of weeks using an antifungal cream. |
| Nuevo Amanecer, Guatemala— Stitching a Machete Cut in a Very Remote Village on a little 9 yr old boy. |
| Medical Issues |
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