Volunteers needed:

Medicine team: they will travel to communities for 4 to 5 days

• 3-4 MDS of various specialties
• 1-2RNs
• 1 pharmacist
• 1 medical resident & 1 medical student
• 1 administrative assistant
• 1-2 translators

Surgical Eye Team:patients will be evaluated in eye clinic and will be selected for surgery

• 2-3 ophthalmic surgeons
• 4-5 RNs or CSTs for OR with ophthalmic experience
• 1 ophthalmology resident
• 1 anesthesiologists or critical care physician
• 1 preop/postop RN
• 1 sterilization tech
• 1 medical student
• 1 administrative assistant
• 1-2 translators

There will be an opportunity to visit Machu Picchu after the mission is completed. There will be a travel agent who can guide you through the process. Otherwise, you can return with the main group on March 28th. If you are interested in joining the Sights on Health team, please email Dr. Debra Messina here, for an application no later than 11/3/2025. Thank you!

We also had a patient travel with another local non-profit from the Amazon forest. Originally, there were three patients, all who were practically blind. As they were preparing to travel to FIBUSPAM for the cataract surgery, they were persuaded by their village shaman that he could restore their vision with herbs and rituals. Luckily, one of them decided to come for the surgery instead. After surgery, the small group was hosted overnight by Olga, one of the managers at the hospital. We would soon find out the next day that his sight was restored.

After some much needed coffee, we were pumped for the rest of the day… especially with the anticipation of getting to watch GAME 1 of the Knicks vs. Pacers at a local burger bar after a long day of surgeries!

The Medical/Pediatric team had a super productive day as well. Dozens of patients were already in line when they arrived at the site. After a short setup, it was GAME ON!

It was a day full of surprises! The team diagnosed a child with a fall-on-outstretched-hand (FOOSH) injury that had happened over a week ago. His joint was swollen, painful, and limited in its movement. The child was placed in a sling and brought to FIBUSPAM hospital, where they found he had a significant fracture. Despite financial difficulty, he was supported and treated and is now in full recovery.

The icing on the cake would have been if the Knicks had won! LOL

This day serves as a reminder of the need for regular eye examinations to screen for cataracts, glaucoma, and other chronic eye conditions to prevent blindness or sight impairment.  Sights on Health’s volunteers and supporters are part of the global effort to eliminate preventable blindness.

We got back on the bus and finished our journey. We arrived at a local artisan market in Quito by 3:30 pm and stayed till 4:45 pm. We then drove to the new hotel we would be staying at for one night, called La Casa Sol. We checked in to our rooms, relaxed, and ate dinner. Two key members of our team left for the airport at night – Dr. Allison Angelilli, a skilled ophthalmologist who made it possible to perform three glaucoma surgeries during this mission, and Shashi Muttreja, a knowledgeable registered nurse with years of experience in the operating room. We are grateful for their major contributions and look forward to working together in the coming future. For now, it’s time to sleep. I have a volcano to hike tomorrow. ¡Hasta mañana!

Annual Cataract Surgical and Medical Mission to Countries in Need

Kings Park R.J.O. Intermediate School has a Community Awareness Program aimed at increasing the student’s awareness of the needs of others.  Interested students are invited to monthly meetings where parent volunteers will introduce a need and a project to help meet that need.  The children collected sunglasses, reading glasses and children’s prescription glasses for A Promise to Peru, Inc. Here they are holding their certificates of appreciation.   Drs. DiGioia and Messina gave a slide show to the students about the medical and surgical mission and discussed with the students who will benefit from their donated glasses.  What a wonderful idea to start exposing the children about what they can do in the world to help make a difference!  They were given an opportunity to make a difference and they did!  Thank you Anne McConville and the volunteer parents for inviting A Promise to Peru to visit and to be a recipient of your efforts!

Click to review the schedule.