Another Major Vision Project

Another Major Vision Project

LDS Charities in partnership with CharityVision of Provo, Utah sponsored a major cataract vision project.  Dr. Ron Snow and Dr. Kenn Turley, both from St. George, Utah, arrived in Mindelo to perform almost 200 cataract surgeries. They have been performing the operations for two weeks and have now traveled to the island of Sal to complete one more week

Dr. Ron Snow, a retired ophthalmologist, is setting up his microscope.  He is 75 years old and has been volunteering his talents for twelve years.

Sister Erickson is admiring a microscopic view of his thumb.

Dr. Kenn Turley, also a retired ophthalmologist, is making the preliminary adjustments to his microscope.  He is 71 years old and volunteers for several non-profit vision organizations.   Both he and Dr. Snow have traveled throughout the world in their quest to prevent needless blindness.

Sister Erickson is providing a real eye for the setup.

On Monday, January 14th, the surgeries begin.

Patients and family members wait in the hallway for their turn to have their precious sight restored.

Dra. Yosleivy, an ophthalmologist from Cuba, administers the local anesthetic prior to the operation.  The operating room is on the other side of the green swinging doors.

Dra. Yosleivy is on assignment from the country of Cuba to work for three years in Cape Verde.  She has two teen-aged children in Cuba.

These patients have received the anesthetic and are waiting for it to take affect.

The band around their heads is actually holding a small ball over their eye.  This procedure will reduce the pressure in the eye.

Dr. Turley is performing one of the surgeries while Dr. Snow takes a break.  The cloudy lens with the cataract is actually removed and an artificial lens is inserted in its place.

It took a couple of days for the nurses to learn exactly how the doctors wanted their instruments handed to them.

This patient has received the surgery on his second eye and is ready to go home.  Earlier in the week he had surgery on the first eye.  Prior to that he had been blind for several years.

Most of the patients have been unable to see for years.

The day after the surgery the patients return to the clinic to have their eyes examined

These two young ladies now have a whole new outlook on life.

Dr. Snow examines one of the patients the day after surgery.

Dr. Turley and Dra. Karina look on.  Dra. Karina from Mindelo is the champion that organized most of this project.  She runs an ophthalmology clinic.

This patient has been totally blind.

One of his daughters helps him into the exam room.

Moments before the bandage is removed.

He can see!!!
"...one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see." 

And I can see!!

In total, 184 surgeries were performed.  The doctors will perform another hundred on the island of Sal.

Dr. Turley, who was born in the Mormon colonies in Mexico, speaks fluent Spanish and instructs a daughter when to apply the eye drops.

In addition to the cataract surgeries, other equipment and supplies were donated.

Dr. Snow looks into a new YAG laser.  Two YAG lasers were donated, one for Mindelo and one for the island of Sal.  This laser is used to correct problems in the front of the eye.

LDS Charities and CharityVision also partnered together to provide surgical supplies.

Five hundred surgical kits were provided that included all the supplies needed to perform the surgeries, including the artificial lenses.

Dr. Turley and Dr. Snow try out one of the new portable microscopes.

Two portable microscopes were also donated.  This one stays in Mindelo.  The second was shipped to the island of Sal.

So ends another phenomenal week in the life of an over the hill senior couple.  We didn't have much to bring on our mission but we brought what we had, five loaves and two fishes.  The Lord has done the rest.