Volunteer fair at the Universtiy of Utah

Today I represented Unite for Sight at a volunteer fair at the University of Utah. I talked to lots of students about the volunteer opportunity and experience that Unite for Sight offers at many locations around the world. I spent about 4 hours recruiting students and had a lot of success! I am hoping to set up an information session later this semester where I will present a powerpoint on my own volunteer experience and give more information about the application and training process for future volunteers.

Still going!

Hey everyone, it's been a while since we've written. A LOT has happened since we returned home from Bihar. Brayden is still working on data collection for his research project and has since added two additional researchers to his team to help finish collecting data. Brayden has taken both the Optometry Admissions Test as well as the MCAT with great results. He is working on starting his applications to schools. Additionally, he has applied for spring graduation and can't wait to finish his bachelors degree!

Late in July, the CEO of Unite for Sight asked Brayden to continue working for the organization as the first campus representative at the University of Utah. He accepted and is excited to get to work. Check out his bio on the link below:

http://www.uniteforsight.org/campus-representatives/#uutah

Last the best, we are happy to announce that we are goin to have a BABY! We are so excited for the upcoming adventure! Stay tuned!

Day 8: the departure home

This week has been an amazing experience for both of us. It is so hard to believe that it is coming to an end. As we went to bed last night, we both discussed the inconvenience of the airline's decision to cancel our flight at 8 pm out of Patna. The new flight has us leaving at 1:30 pm from Patna arriving at 3:00 pm for an 11 hour layover in New Delhi until 2:00 am for Germany. This means that we lose a half day of work at the AB Eye Institute. We both decided that it would be worth it to purchase tickets with another airline for a later flight so that we can both work at the hospital and reduce our layover time in Delhi. As soon as we woke up, we tried to purchase tickets online with Brayden's computer. Unfortunately the internet was down. We went for morning tea with the Sinha's and discussed our decision. They were thrilled to hear of our decision to stay longer. They saw it as a complement to them that we really enjoyed our time with them . . . and we do! Dr. Ajit Sinha arranged for a driver to take us early to the hospital to use the wireless internet there to purchase our tickets. As soon as we arrived, we fired up the internet with NO LUCK! The internet was down at the hospital too. We began to think that we weren't supposed to stay longer. Luckily, one of the staff at the hospital knew of an internet cafe close by and we ran to check our luck! YES! The internet was working great. We logged on to flykingfisher.com and found a flight out of Patna later today at 6:30 pm. We purchased our tickets with much relief and headed back home to the Sinha's for breakfast. We were treated to a wonderful breakfast once again and then took some time to pack and prepare for our flight later that day.

Dr. Ajit Sinha later called for us as it was time to head to the hospital to begin our day. Once we arrive, we were greeted by a large room full of patients in the waiting area. We quickly went into the patient screening room to get to work. We worked that morning from about 10:00 until 4:00 pm. Laura continued her work at the auto-refractor, and Brayden checked visual acuity, checked histories, and collected data for his research project with the help of Abhishek, the head optometrist. The time went so fast! Dr. Ajit Sinha called us into his office several times throughout the morning to show us different cases. One particular case was of a patient who survived a motorcycle collision. A visual field test result showed that the patient had lost vision on the sides, called bitemporal hemianopia. Some pictures from Wikipedia show:

Visual field loss

Normal vision

This test indicated that the patient had damage to his optic nerves at the optic chiasm. Dr. Ajit Sinha then informed us that he would need to receive specific help from a specialist to see if anything could be done to treat his condition.

After working in the hospital for the week, we came to love the patients! Some patients we saw several times during the week for follow-up appointments after cataract surgeries and after specific treatments for infections and treatments. It was amazing to see healing in action. One patient arrived earlier in the week with lot's of swelling on her left eyelid. Enough that she was unable to open her eye. There was slight pain and watering. The doctors treated her and she came back two additional times. By the last visit, her eyelid was back to normal!

Later that day, Dr. Satyajit Sinha arrived at the hospital from his business trip. We were just about to leave the clinic to get ready for our flight when Drs. Sinha presented us both with certificates and letters of recommendation for having worked in the hospital and charity clinics. They had been keeping track of how many patients we had seen during the week and to our surprise, we had helped almost 600! To give you an idea of how many patients that is, the doctor that Brayden works for averages around 300-400 patients A MONTH! It is truly amazing what kind of work the Sinha's do for the people in Bihar!

When we arrived home, we were treated with lunch. Grandma Sinha remembered that Brayden LOVED the river fish from earlier in the week and had it specially prepared again as a departure gift! We were so surprised! Our last wonderful meal with the Sinha's! After lunch, we made sure that all was in order. This picture shows all of the glasses that we brought with us! We organized them by power.

As we grabbed our luggage to head for the car, we found Laura's spider friend. he had been seen here and there in our room. Our first day he had startled her by jumping out when she went to put something on a table in our room. As anyone who knows Laura knows, she is a total wimp when it comes to spiders. The spider then ran up the wall and hung out there for a few days. As long as Laura knew where he was, she was just fine with him! Ha ha!But then he disappeared a few days before we left, much to Laura's displeasure, but it was good to finally figure out where he had ended up!

We were very sad to say goodbye to the Sinha family! They have given us the opportunity of a lifetime. We learned so much from each and every one of them. No doubt they will be lifetime friends! We made sure that they knew that they would always have a place to stay if they ever make a trip out to Utah! The picture below from L to R, the director of the charity eye clinic next to the AB Eye Institute in Patna City, Dr. Satyajit Sinha, Dr. Ajit Sinha, Brayden, Laura, Dr. Grandma Sinha.

We snapped some photos of the city as we made our way back to the airport. We sure miss India!

After a 33 hour flight back home, we made it! As soon as we arrived back home, we jumped in the shower and hit the sac! Brayden had school the following morning and worked on some homework before heading to school. It was such a contrast living in India where the sun blazed at 41 C of 105 F and to be welcomed home to 32 F and SNOW! Fortunately, jet lag has not been too much of a problem.

Brayden and Laura have been very fortunate to be able to work with Unite for Sight and the Sinha family in India. We are still interested in global health and will continue to work with Unite for Sight here in America.

Day 7

Today the Sinha’s arranged a day trip for us to Gaya, the birthplace of Buddhism and the spot where the Buddha received his enlightenment. This is the Jerusalem of Buddhism, and Buddhists from around the world will make a pilgrimage to this place. It is located about 200 miles from Patna, so we were also able to drive through the countryside and villages outside the city on our way there.

Day 6

Saturday was another beautiful day in Patna. I don’t know if we’ve mentioned it, but Patna has been going through a heat wave this week, and it has been over 40 C every day. Laura was very happy when Brayden told her that is over 100 F…we knew it felt hot! J On Saturday, we had breakfast with Grandma and Grandpa Sinha, and then got ready to pay a visit to the blind school for girls. On the drive over, Grandpa Sinha explained that there are many schools for blind boys in Patna, however, there were not any schools for blind girls, essentially leaving them without a future. On top of all of the other charitable work the Sinha family does, they have also started this school. It was not hard to hear the pride and love in Grandpa Sinha’s voice as he talked about how much he enjoyed visiting the girls, and how accomplished they are. The school provides education until grade 10, at which point the girls can continue on their studies at University. At the school, the girls are taught to read and write Braille, speak English, and work on computers. These skills will help them gain employment and further their education, leading to successful lives amidst opposition. We were very excited to go to the school, but had no idea just how touching it would be.

When we arrived, we were shown the original school building, which was small and in general disrepair. Thanks to donations, they have begun building a new school, of which the first floor is complete, and it is very spacious and nice. When we entered the new building, classes were in session. Dr Sinha explained that they cannot use traditional large classrooms, “as it would not work to write on a blackboard, they can’t see!” Instead, the school is made of a series of small classrooms, each consisting of a teacher and 7-10 girls. When we entered the first classroom, the girls immediately stood at the sound of the door opening and greeted us. They were very excited to hear Dr Sinha’s voice, and became very excited when they heard he had brought visitors. At that point, they reached out their hands to us, asking in English, “what is your name?” It is difficult to describe the feelings that occurred when we touched their hands back and looked into their faces. It was a sweet moment that will not soon be forgotten. There was something very special about the school, despite the adversity of their situation, the girls were all so happy and greeted us with beautiful smiles. They also laughed together and played, and their joy was contagious. They were proud to show us how they wrote Braille using a stylus and grid, and then flipping the page over and reading to us what they had written. One girl worked hard to write, and then read to us her message that she was very happy we had come today. Touching the hands of those girls created a deep connection and was a special experience, and definitely a highlight of the visit. Dr. Ajit Sinha showed us the construction on top of the building to expand the school and it was all possible thanks to donations. A picture below shows the director of the school for the girls who is accounting for a donation that Dr. Ajit Sinha brought with us to the school.

As we left the school, Laura noted a sign asking for donations for Braille equipment that stated, “Please donate, because God gave some of us eyes in our fingertips.” It was an interesting reminder that we each have been given different blessings, as well as adversities, but that through working together, we can succeed.

After the blind school, we went to the AB Eye Institute. We are telling you these guys never stop! Open six days a week, over 12 hours a day, they have sure set a high standard for work ethics! We were very excited to be attending the clinic that day, as we had gotten the bad news that our flight Monday had been cancelled, and we had been moved to an early flight, meaning it was our last day at the clinic. We worked hard, and due to it being Saturday, the clinic closed “early” (meaning 5 pm) for the week. The staff were all very excited to be finishing up for the week and were looking forward to their day off! We bid everyone a fond farewell, and took a group picture with the staff. We hoped to be able to come into the clinic for at least a short time on Monday, but were not sure if this was to be goodbye.

After work, we came home to another Indian feast. We had brought some snacks and food with us, expecting to be hungry while we were there or possibly not like the food, but we were sure wrong! We were filled to the brim every meal and treated like kings! Tonight the Sinha’s had bought chicken from a restaurant nearby, and it was delicious. Indians eat everything with their hands, rice, liquids, etc, it takes a certain amount of skill, and we had gotten pretty good at it, but still used the fork or spoon for certain items. Tonight as we reached for our forks to eat our chicken, Dr Sinha said, “the joy of the chicken is in eating it with your hands!” At that point, we forgot the forks and went all Indian, no more silverware. It was a little bit of a challenge as eating with the left hand is a big no-no, imagine trying to eat a piece of KFC by pulling it apart little by little with just one hand…and the piece is also smothered in a delicious, but slippery sauce! Needless to say there were some laughs around the table, but it was a great experience! From that point on, we forgot the silverware and ate with our hands. Tempting to keep it up at home, although eating spaghetti Indian style probably wouldn’t work…

After lunch the family had a short rest, and then we traveled to a different area of Patna to visit Dr Sinha’s nephew. In India, it is tradition to visit different family members on weekends, and they keep in contact with a wide range of relatives. This nephew is an honorable Judge in the High Court of Bihar. (If you haven’t picked up on it, the Sinha’s are a pretty well connected family!) He and his family were very hospitable, and we enjoyed an evening of pleasant conversation. We were also treated to a delicious frothy lemon-lime sugary drink that may have ruined lemonade for us for the rest of our lives. It is very interesting to see cultural differences in things that appear normal to us. For example, it is very strange to everyone that we are the same age, and stranger still that Laura has finished school before Brayden. Another funny moment was when Laura was asked why she stopped school after her Master’s degree? That was very sad, why wouldn’t she want to go for doctorate? It also didn’t make a lot of sense when she answered it was because that was as far as she wanted to go and she was done! Luckily, she could default to the cultural norm of stating maybe she would consider it after Brayden completed his education, which made a lot more sense to everyone. Her job doesn’t make much sense in India either, as going to school in India is a privilege, so they cannot comprehend why kids would be bad at school, and why they would keep attending school if they were bad. They were quite sure that what she did was a good thing, but maybe she would like to switch and attend medical school which would be much more rewarding. We had a laugh to ourselves, and knew they meant it kindly. They then continued to offer Brayden some advice. The family was very kind, when we commented on how hospitable they had been, the wife quickly stated, “we have not shown any hospitality at all, come back in the winter when my garden is beautiful and we shall eat a delicious meal in the garden and really show you hospitality.” She then picked us a bouquet of sweet smelling flowers and thanked us for visiting. It was a very pleasant evening, and another thought provoking experience as we shared conversation with this accomplished family. Afterwards, we returned home and fell asleep very quickly, we have found that with days so busy, we sleep very well at night. We went to sleep quickly, for we have an early morning tomorrow!

Day 5 in India

Today was another great day in India! We are wishing it didn't have to end so soon! We had another lovely morning together, with another great breakfast (Laura got to try hot cornflakes today...what an experience!) We will take pictures of our breakfast sometime so you can see how lovely it all is. We headed to the clinic where we had another great morning of auto-refracting, screening and performing visual acuity tests. We had a poignant moment when a man brought his mother in, and hesitantly asked, "excuse me, where are you from." We told him we were from the states, after which he inquired as to why we were in Patna. When Brayden told him we were here to provide service, the man bowed and said "God bless you for your work." A special moment, as we are the ones who feel blessed to be here. We then changed into our scrubs to observe further surgeries. As you can see, even the scrubs are a little different in India, thanks Brayden for posing to demonstrate, there are two slits on each side, adding to the unique look:




















Brayden is very familiar with eye physiology and different procedures as this is his passion, but for Laura, this is all very new and so interesting. Watching the surgeries has given me a whole new understanding of just how amazing the human eye is. It's incredible to see how each small part works together perfectly, and how such tiny changes can have such huge impacts. Another testament of the wonders of our human bodies, the more I come to understand it, the more incredible it is to me and testifies of a perfect creation. We have loved seeing the surgeries, and the skill it takes. These teams are so impressive, we have now witnessed the power go out during surgery several times, and they don't miss a beat, flighlights come out, a few words are exchanged and the procedure continues. Amazing.

Today was one of Brayden's favorite food days. The Sinha's prepared river fish with a wonderful spicy sauce. Brayden couldn't help but eat and eat! Dr. Satyajit Sinha left us for a business trip with his wife Dr. Pooja Sinha after lunch today. We had the privilege of spending the rest of the evening with Dr. Grandpa (Ajit) Sinha. He invited us to a Lion's Club meeting at a private club in downtown Patna. There we were very warmly received by everyone. It was such a change to be with the Lion's Club members from those who live in the rural areas. These are men and women who are doctors and professors who are adopting a village somewhere in Bihar to provide eyecare, dental care, and sanitation. We were very fortunate to attend and also see Dr. Ajit Sinha receive a very honorable gift from the Lion's Club for the services performed by he and the A. B. Eye Institute. The meeting was held in a mix of English and Hindi so we were able to follow along here and there. As we ate, waiters came around with drinks. They were Coke products (Sprite, etc.). We liked the fizzy taste of home for a moment. Next the waiters brought around samples of chicken with spicy sauces. After the meeting was adjourned, Dr. Sinha took us to meet the president of the chapter as well as many other important government officials and doctors. They were all very respectful and interested in why we were there. We could get used to feeling so important! ha ha. Finally, a large catered dinner was provided and we had more than our fair share to eat. The picture below shows us with Dr. Ajit Sinha and the President of the Lion's Club of Patlyputra. Also below, Brayden trying to smile with a stuffed face. Sorry everyone!

Tonight we arrived home around 10:00 pm. We were welcomed to our room from a lizard who eat the mosquitoes atop our bed at night. We were also welcomed to some bad news from the airline. We were told that our original flight out of Patna on Monday at 8 pm was canceled and the only available flight was at 1:30 pm. That means we lose a whole day at the clinic. We also have to sit in New Delhi until 2:45 a.m. for our flight to Frankfort Germany. I don't think either of us have ever had to endure a layover for that long. Thanks to Brayden's mom, she was able to arrange with the travel company that all of the flights would still be ok so that we can arrive home safe (and for school on Wednesday, boo!) Goodmorning USA, goodnight India!