♪ IN A BEAUTIFUL TROPICAL PART OF THE WORLD, A TEAM FROM THE PEOPLE THEY NEVER MET. >> HOW LONG HAS THIS BEEN? >> THEY TRAVELED TO THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. >> WE CAN KEEP A CHECK ON IT. >> FOR ONE WEEK. >> WE ARE IN CHAOS RIGHT NOW. >> THEY CHANGE LIVES. >> I HAVE SEEN THIS BEFORE. >> VOLUNTEERS FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE. OUR HELPING TO PROVIDE A SITE RESTORING EYE SURGERY. >> SHE SAYS IT IS SO IMPORTANT TO HER AGAINST HER PURPOSE. >> IT IS A CASE OF BEING A GOOD MACGYVER. >> THE WORK IS HARD. >> IT IS ALWAYS ONE GOAL. TO GIVE THE GIFT OF SIGHT. >> IT IS SO IMPORTANT FOR THE FAMILY. PER MOTHER GETS HER INDEPENDENCE BACK. >> YOU CAN’T EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENCE THAT YOU MAKE TO OTHERS WHO ARE NOT HERE. IT IS INDESCRIBABLE. >> THIS IS THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. THE OCEAN IS NEVER FAR AWAY AND IT IS 80 DEGREES IN THE MIDDLE OF WINTER. A TEAM FROM THE OUTREACH BASED IN THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY IS HERE TO GIVE PEOPLE THE GIFT OF SIGHT. THE MISSION MIGHT BE SIMPLE BUT PULLING OFF A WEEKS WORTH OF MY SURGERIES AND CRAMPED AND CHRONIC CONDITIONS, CERTAIN IT IS NOT. THE PATIENTS BEGIN LINING UP EARLY IN THE MORNING. SOME HAVE TRAVELED MANY HOURS TO GET HERE. CLUTCHING PAPERS THAT WILL GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY FOR A LIFE-CHANGING PROCEDURE. >> VERY GOOD. WE WILL GET YOU READY FOR SURGERY. >> THE DOCTOR CHECKS THE GROUP OUTSIDE A MEDICAL CLINIC JUST BLOCKS FROM THE CENTER. >> SHE CANNOT SEE ANYTHING FROM HER RIGHT EYE. >> THEY ARE DOING SEVERAL TYPES OF SURGERIES. CORNEAL IMPLANTS, SURGERY TO CORRECT CROSSTIES IN CHILDREN. MOST COMMON, CATARACT SURGERY. >> SHE DOES NOT SEE WELL AT ALL. TOTALLY ADVANCED. >> FOR THE DOCTOR, THIS IS LIKE A SECOND HOME. HIS FIRST TRIP WAS IN 1993 WHEN HIS DAUGHTER WAS SERVING IN THE PEACE CORPS. >> I GIVE MY DAUGHTER A LESSER CREDIT. BUT AS FOR THE GROUP THAT MAKES THIS POSSIBLE, COLD BLINDNESS OUTREACH, >> SHE CANNOT SEE THAT I HAVE FOUR FINGERS UP. >> GOOD MORNING. SO NICE TO SEE YOU HERE. >> THE DOCTOR STILL PRACTICES IN LEBANON COUNTY AFTER FOUR DECADES AS AN OPHTHALMOLOGIST. AFTER GRADUATING FROM MEDICAL SCHOOL AND SERVING AS A FLIGHT SURGEON IN THE VIETNAM WAR, HE VOLUNTEERED TO WORK WITH AN EYE DOCTOR AND FILL IN THE WITH IT. HE SAYS HE ALWAYS WANTED TO GIVE BACK IN SOME WAY. >> IS SOMETHING I ALWAYS WANTED TO MAKE AN IMPACT ON PEOPLE IN NEED WHO WERE NOT RECEIVING SERVICES. >> A LONGTIME MEMBER OF THE ROTARY CLUB, A CHANCE MEETING AT A CONFERENCE LED HIM TO AND I SURGERY MISSION TRIP TO THE PHILIPPINES. >> WOMAN GOT THERE, WE HAVE PATIENTS LINED UP TO SEE US. WE WERE ABLE TO DO SOME SURGERY. THERE WERE 70 PEOPLE THAT NEEDED IT. -- SO MANY PEOPLE THAT NEEDED IT. WE MADE SUCH AN IMPACT. WHEN I CAME HOME, I DECIDED I WANTED TO DO MORE OF THIS. >> SOON, HE STARTED WORLD BLINDNESS OUTREACH. >> THE ULTIMATE PURPOSE IS TO CURE PREVENTABLE AND TREATABLE BLINDNESS. NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO, IF YOU ARE ABLE TO DO SOMETHING YOU SHOULD. >> THE WHO SAYS THERE ARE MILLIONS OF BLACK PEOPLE WORLDWIDE AND A 246 MILLION MORE THAT ARE VISUALLY IMPAIRED. >> 80% OF THEBLINDNESS, IF IT WERE TREATED, IT COULD EITHER BE PREVENTED OR TREATED SURGICALLY OR WITH SOME MEDICATION. >> THE DOCTOR AND THE OUTREACH HAVE NOW GONE ON CLOSE TO 90 REGIONS -- MISSIONS SPANNING THE GLOBE. HE ESTIMATES THEY HAVE DONE 10,000 EYE SURGERIES FREE OF CHARGE. >> THE SERVICE WE PROVIDE WOMEN TRAVEL CHANGES -- WHEN WE TRAVEL CHANGES LIVES. IT ABLE -- ENABLES PEOPLE TO GET BACK TO LIFE AND BE PRODUCTIVE. THAT IS GRATIFYING TO ME AND ALL OF OUR VOLUNTEERS THAT WE ARE HAVING THIS TYPE OF IMPACT ON PEOPLE’S LIVES. I FEEL SO BLESSED AS I NEVER EXPECTED THIS TO HAPPEN. I THINK I ALWAYS HAD THE DESIRE TO DO SOMETHING THAT IMPACTED OTHERS’LIVES. >> THE NARROW HALLWAY INSIDE THE CLINIC IS CROWDED. PATIENTS A STEP CLOSER TO SURGERY. JUST GETTING HERE WAS PART OF THE CHALLENGE. THERE ARE 30 PEOPLE IN THE TEAM TRAVELING AND 25 BOXES OF MEDICAL EQUIPMENT THAT HAVE TO MAKE IT AS WELL. LUCKILY, SOME OF THE TEAM MEMBERS HAVE DONE THIS BEFORE. >> I NUMBER EVERY BOX SO WE CAN CHECK ON IT. EVERY PERSON WAS ASSIGNED A NUMBER AND I HAVE A MASTER LIST OF WHO’S NUMBER SO IF A BAG IS LOST, I CAN IDENTIFY WHO IT IS CHECKED -- CHECKED UNDER AND HAVE IT TAGGED. >> HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO HAVE ALL OF THIS STUFF? >> LAST YEAR, ONE BOX TO NOT COME. IT HAD ALL OF OUR LENSES IN IT. I HAD TO GO TO THE CAPITAL CITY AND PURCHASE NEW ONES SO WE COULD OPERATE. THAT IS HOW IMPORTANT IT CAN BE. >> THEY WERE PART OF CHECKED BAGGAGE. NOW THEY ARE LOADED ONTO A BUS THAT WILL TAKE THE TEAM TO THE LOCATION. WHEN THE TEAM FINALLY ARRIVES, AN UNEXPECTED MOMENT. A RAUCOUS WELCOME. BEFORE A SINGLE SURGERY IS COMPLETED, A SIGN OF DEEP GRATITUDE FROM THIS COMMITTEE. >> ALL YOU COULD HEAR WAS THE LOUD MUSIC AND CLAPPING. I WAS NOT READY FOR THAT. IT IS GOOD THAT WE COULD DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS. THE HARD WORK WILL SOON BEGIN. THAT NIGHT, THE SETUP STARTS. >> WE WILL WANT TO -- >> THAT MEANS UNPACKING DOZENS OF BOXES. SETTING UP A SURGICAL CLINIC IN JUST HOURS. >> OR MICROSCOPES AND AUTOCLAVES. ALL OF THE EYEDROPS WE ARE GOING TO NEED. SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS. EVERYTHING WE NEED TO DO SURGERY IS IN THESE BOXES. >> POST OP. >> NOW WE ARE GOING TO CONVERT THESE OPERATING ROOMS INTO SELF-SUFFICIENT OPERATING FACILITIES. >> NUMBER 10 -- >> CINDY IS A NURSE MANAGER. HERE, SHE IS IN CHARGE OF THE SETUP. >> WE ARE BLESSED BECAUSE WE HAVE A YOUNG LYADHO W HAS BEEN WITH ME FOR 20 YEARS. I TURN THIS PART OVER TO HER. >> IT IS CONTROLLED CHAOS. >> THE EQUIPMENT HAS TO BE LOCATED AMONG ALL THE BOXES. >> HE WILL HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL I CAN FIND THEM. >> SOMEHOW, IT IS ALL HERE. >> ON THE FITRS DAY, IT IS A CRAZY TIME TO FIGURE OUT WHERE EVERYTHING IT IS GOING. >> THIS IS THE MOST FRUSTRATING PART TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IN A NEW LOCATIO. >> THERE IS A TICKING CLOCK. THE TEAM ARRIVED LATE IN THE AFTERNOON ON SUNDAY. PATIENTS WILL ARRIVE FIRST THING MONDAY MORNING FOR SURGERY. >> WE HOPE TO SET MOST OF IT UP TONIGHT. THERE WILL BE FINAL TOUCHES TOMORROW, BUT WOULD LIKE TO GET STARTED AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE. >> THIS HAS TO BE SET UP QUICKLY TO PRECISE SPECIFICATIONS. THERE IS NO OTHER WAY TO DO INTRICATE SURGERIES ON A SMALL BODY. >> I HAVE IT SET UP. >> I USUALLY HAVE IT OVER HERE. >> THERE IS NO OUTLET OVER HERE. >> THE CREW WORKS LATE INTO THE EVENING. WHEN THE PATIENTARS RIVE THE NEXT MORNING, THE TEMPORARY CLINIC AND THREE OPERATING ROOMS ARE READY TO GO. NOW, THE REAL MISSION BEGINS. COMINGP, U >> SHE SAYS ITS I SO IMPORTANT FOR MOLLY TO BE ABLE TO SEE. >> FAMILIES TRAVELO TTHE CLINIC. >> WE ARE HOPING SHE GETS A GOOD RESULT BECAUSE IT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE. >> TO A MOM AND HER TEENAGE SON. >> HE CANNOT -- >> HOURS OF SURGERY LEAD TO THE MOMENT THE BANDAGES COME OFF. >> SHE HAS BEEN THANKING EVERYONE. FOR BRINGING THE GIFT TO OUR COMMUNITY.