Optometry students offer the gift of sight
Mission trips provide array of services, amazing stories
Dr. Alissa Proctor knows Northeastern State University Oklahoma College of Optometry students are touched by an annual trip to Central America.
“I remember a couple of years ago someone brought us a handscribbled note at the openair clinic we had set up in Honduras,” said Proctor, associate professor. “It had a simple message. I need help. I can’t get there.
“Please help me. I would be very grateful.”
So, a couple of NSU optometry students loaded up some equipment, located a car and went to give the man an eye exam.
“The best thing about this, and one of the reasons we have been doing this here at NSU for so long, is because it touches the lives of our students in far more ways than academics,” said Proctor. “Yes, it is a fantastic learning experience. We love the real world experience.
“But, one of the great things is that through the years we’ve had students come home from this trip with amazing stories.”
No one knows exactly how many years optometry students from NSU have been going on this spring mission trip but it is considered one of the highlights at the Oklahoma College of Optometry.
About 17 students, along with three doctors, will make the trip this spring to set up openair eye exam clinics in Roatan, Honduras.
In four days, students and doctors will see about 1,000 patients.
Through donations of old eyeglasses from Oklahomans, and the contribution of several eyeglass companies, the NSU students will take about 1,200 eyeglasses with them for distribution to patients.
Students at NSU’s highly acclaimed Oklahoma College of Optometry have spent months helping to collect, clean and in some cases repair donated eyeglasses.
They load up eye exam equipment, eye drops and all of the items needed for an eye clinic.
“The leading cause of preventable blindness in Third World countries is lack of glasses,” said Proctor. “The people down there have such a need.”
In the last 15 years, NSU students and faculty have done mission trips to the Amazon River, Brazil; Sarstun, Guatemala; and Roatan, Honduras.
The last eight years the mission trips have gone to Honduras.
The trips are financed in a number of ways including a $100,000 endowment to fund the Henry and Jo Ann McCabe Northeastern State University Oklahoma College of Optometry Vision Care International Mission Scholarship.
“All of the students get involved in some way to help make this trip possible,” said Proctor. “We encourage them to go back to their communities and try to find charitable contributions, either glasses or financial.
“We have garage sales and bake sales and alumni activities to fund this mission.”
There are about 112 students in NSU’s Oklahoma College of Optometry, a four-year professional program. Proctor estimates about 50 percent of the students in the optometry program participate in some way to make the mission happen each year.
“They either help us collect or clean or fix the eyeglasses,” said Proctor. “They help us pack up the equipment we’ll need.
“Many of them have been on the trip and they can help prepare others for the trip.”
Students from firstyear through fourth-year participate.