Fun at the New Health Clinic in Punta Abreojos

Last Thursday night, 9 pm, I am surfing facebook when suddenly I see a photo of the health clinic that Craig H. of Abreojos helped build. It was his dream and he made it come true. The photo was of the inauguration and stated that on Friday they would be dentists treating patients for FREE!

I was on the phone right away to the high school seniors in the scholarship program to get them on board, called the principal to make sure they could get excused for the day and then called the appointment maker for the clinic to get their names on the list.

She explains that it is a first come first served list and that they open at 8 am. I tell all the 4 kids who were going with me (one of them was scheduled to go to the optometrist already in santa rosalia) that I will pick them up at 6:40 as I want to be the FIRST in line!

So, everything went to plan and we arrived a little after 7. Not a soul in sight until 8 when the 2 pilots who had flown the DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS group showed up. At about 8:15 other patients begin to show up.

At about 9, the kids were called in to start seeing a dentist:



This is Alberto and he has serious issues with his teeth and will need further treatment -perhaps a root canal:










This is Olimpia, president of her class and the owner of a small evening food business to keep herself supplied with pocket money. She had one small cavity and here Doc Ray is checking her molars:











This is Martha who also has 2 impacted wisdom teeth - the docs will be back in December to Santa Rosalia and that is where I will take her, unless I can find someone sooner:










This is Alondra who apparently has perfect teeth except for one molar that might also be a root canal candidate.....they gave her heavy anesthesia as her root was exposed. Temporarily taken care of:








In between bringing one teen in and talking to the dentists, I realize that there is an optometrist there....as you all may recall, I teach ESL at the middle school. Well, there is one girl who stands up to see the board, she has asked me to not use the color red as she cant read what I write. So, I ask if I can go get her in la bocana and bring her back for a prescription. Les's and my optometrist in san diego (DR. ERIC WHITE), who charges us $600 when we visit -ouch - provides ALL the glasses for any student I have in need. The clinic gives the OK, I call the middleschool to make sure she can come, they get the OK. So I leave the teens to the dentists and fly back to La Bocana to get Dulce.

She was the only young one at the clinic since most kids were in school and the optometrist is just enthralled by this bundle of joy!


They offer to give her appropriate temporary lenses!!!! She can read for the first time in a looooooong time:


DULCE BEING TESTED:








GETTING HER TO READ THE LETTERS, NEW GLASSES ON NOSE:











THEM GETTING PHOTOS OF HER!










AND THIS IS HER AS THEY WERE ADJUSTING THE GLASSES FOR A BETTER FIT:










It was such a great day - the kids were not too happy with their mouths all numb but I was happy that it was 11 am and we were headed back with 4 kids treated and one lucky little one with glasses so she can see!


If you are coming south to any Baja village - bring those kids toothbrushes and toothpaste......such a basic need that sometimes goes by the wayside.


As Gene from BajaNomad always says: Make it a better day!

Hats off to Craig H. and all who helped, including the driver from La Bocana.

As a side note, having worn glasses since I was a kid and knowing how important they are, I wonder how many Mexicans in small towns spend their whole life not being able to see clearly. Seeing well enough to get by, but not clearly. So few seem to wear glasses.

Anyway, hats off to compassionate people!!

Quote: Originally posted by shari

I am so happy for Craig and his dream coming true and for the villages of Abreojos & La Bocana for having a new clinic! Actually the team is from Medicos Voladores...the Flying Doctors and this bunch had a clinic in Asuncion last year and were fantastic too.