The gift of sight!

Today, Saturday (the weekend!) I had the opportunity of getting up at 4.30 am, to be in a small (10-seat) plane for 5 am! I could have opted to stay in bed for a lie-in, and when the alarm went off, I confess, that just for a moment, I wished I had!

Nevertheless, here we are, Paul (pilot), Nigel and I, travelling South-West to a small airfield at Johannesburg. Why? We are going to pick up a small team of four, to take them for their Saturday activity - cataract surgery, in the Northern area of South Africa.

This is a trip made in partnership with FFL (Flying for Life); my first time to Limpopo, and to the area we are going to serve. As we at Mercy Air continue to check ‘the coordinates of our Vision’, I pray that this day will reveal more of Gods plan...

We arrive at Lanseria airport (Johannesburg) after just over an hour flight and take off again 30 mins later.  We now have four extra passengers;  Sam (Flying for Life) has organized the trip,  Dr Maanda Mbogo, ophthalmologist, Dr Margaretha Roux, trainee ophthalmologist, and Carita Van Rooyen, ophthalmology nurse - all women! and quite amazing!

Erin, Nigel, Sam, Maanda, Paul, Carita, Margaretha at Lanseria

                              

Before we taxi to the runway, we pray for God’s blessing on the day, the journey, and the work.

 On arrival at the tiny local airstrip at 8.30, we are met by a taxi minibus, and after ‘parking’ the Kodiak, we are driven to the Donald Fraser hospital at Thohoyandou. As we traveled I made a mental note that we need to pray for safe road travel as well as Air!

At the hospital theatres, there were 16 patients waiting for their cataract surgery. The waiting list is 400, and ophthalmic care is only considered as tertiary health care by the government. ‘No one dies of blindness’. It seems the responsibility for those in need, falls in the main, to non-government organizations.

Surgeries were delayed at the start of the day because the lens supplies, already provided through FFL, were locked away. 

While this was being sorted, the first patients were prepared, and necessary eye measurements taken for their replacement lenses.

The small theatre was set up with two surgery stations; each with bed, ophthalmic microscope and instrument trolley; with a small ophthalmic autoclave to sterilize                                                 instrument sets between patients. 

All the staff were female, and the on-site nurses were very knowledgeable in their roles. We could observe the procedures, and I had the privilege of being able to watch four people, have life changing surgery. 

Unfortunately, not all the patients were able to be seen today, due to some complications with earlier patients, and shortage of time for return flights, but these will be first on the list for the next visit. All the patients were elderly, and for all of them the results will mean a better quality of life.

I believe that this ministry is part of what we are asked to do...’give sight to the blind’ Luke 4:18. Today I have witnessed the miracle that is Jesus’ love being shown to these poor elderly folks, through the skills of the surgeons and nurses; brought together in partnership with FFL and Mercy Air.