A Crazy Weekend in Mexico

Let's do some math. What do you get when you have a 21 year old college guy, his girlfriend, her friends, and a long weekend in Tecate, Mexico? You know, Tecate the beer? Well, it equals a crazy weekend none of us would ever forget although I'm sure a few of us would love to.

Speaking of sight, that's actually what the weekend was about. No, we didn't drink till our vision went blurry. We actually didn't drink at all. My girlfriend is a biology major and an aspiring optometrist at the University of California, San Diego. She invited me to tag along as her club volunteered at an eye clinic.  

I joined her and a two of her pre-optometry club mates and traveled to Tecate, Mexico to volunteer with the Flying Samaritans a volunteer organization which operates free monthly medical clinics in Baja California, Mexico.  

Every third Saturday of the month, volunteers, optometrists, ophthalmologist and ophthalmic technicians gather to run this free clinic that serves people from all over Mexico. Many of the people need glasses, or may have serious eye problems which require expensive surgeries. Because of this, a long ways to travel is worth it for the free care.

For the students it was an eye opening experience to say the least (pun intended). We met up at a Burger King by the side of the road 30 some miles from Mexico and carpooled to the border. We paid five bucks for a day worth of parking and walked across the border to avoid the long line of vehicles waiting to be searched.

 The clinic was a small dilapidated bungalow with a sagging floor, broken tiles, exposed electrical wires, and medical equipment that looked as if a zombie apocalypse had hit the world in the 60s. The equipment and the rooms were painted with bright joyous colors but still the place seemed somber. The Leather seats of the medical equipment were dry and worn from age and use. The metal from most things were rusted and grimy and anything that most likely was white at one point was now yellow.

Despite all the clinics safety and visual woes, it makes up for it with the great work it does. The Flying Samaritans regularly collect hundreds of glasses and sun glasses donated by people who no longer have a need for them. The glasses are brought back to the states where the prescription is checked, labeled, bought back Mexico for the next clinic and organized so the optometrist can easily find what a patient needs.

I, along with the other American volunteers assisted a Mexican optometrist whom spoke no English and goes by Charlie. Charlie worked quickly and although I couldn't communicate with him, I could tell he was passionate about his work. The line of patients outside slowly but surely shortened as the day went on and Charlie was able to find glasses for many people, which for some, changed their lives. For some, their problems could not be solved with a pair of glasses and they were referred to the ophthalmology building where people who needed it, could get cataracts surgery and other operations.

As a photographer, I was very nervous about photographing people as they were seeking medical treatment and advice, especially when I was not able to ask the patients or even the optometrist permission, because of the language barrier. After an hour of just helping prep glasses and flashing smiles at the patients and the optometrist whenever I could, I built the courage to start asking patients if I could take their photos. Pointing my camera, flashing a smile, and asking "Foto?" was enough for most people to smile back and nod yes.  I tried my best to be as unobtrusive as possible, I stood in corners and crouched low as to not distract people from eye exams.  

It was an amazing experience to be a fly on the wall in the exam room and see people’s reaction to regaining such an important sense. The people were incredibly friendly and although I did not understand anything anyone said, I could piece together who they were through their personality. Never would I have thought I would have gotten as emotional as I did seeing some of the people’s reactions to the kindness of the volunteers.  

After helping in the optometry clinic, we went to the ophthalmology side where surgeries are preformed, to see some of the patients we refered. Thanks to the kindness of the surgeons they handed us all face masks and hair nets and allowed us to sit in on a cataracts surgery. Unfortunately for one of the volunteers seeing a scalpel cut into some ones eye is not the most comfortable thing in the world and they had to leave the room. After we were done she  was sitting outside face just as pale as it was when she was inside the operating room.