Surgical Eye Missions

We plan to undertake at least one surgical eye mission in San Pedro Sula Honduras in 2025, in collaboration with our local Honduran partners, Fundación de Servicios Médicos Voluntarios (FSMV). The primary focus for this mission will be to conduct cornea transplants.  We also anticipate performing several dozen cataract surgeries, as we have done in years past, and other eye surgeries as needed. Funds permitting, we may also seek to do an additional surgical mission each year to amplify our impact and increase our ability to introduce new surgical techniques to our Honduran colleagues.

Each multi-day mission is anticipated to cost roughly $15,000, including airfare, lodging and food for our small US-based team, supplies and shipping, and small stipends for local doctors and staff. Funds are needed to help cover these costs, in addition to the substantial in-kind material support also secured for each mission.  Support Needed:  $30,000 total.

Surgical Microscope

The surgical microscopes currently available in the charity eye clinic of our Honduran partners in San Pedro Sula are several decades old, frequently malfunctioning, and in need of replacement. These specialized microscopes are critical to the ongoing effectiveness of our surgical eye missions and the daily services provided by the FSMV charity clinic in San Pedro Sula. We are in the process of seeking in-kind donation of suitable surgical microscopes.  However, we anticipate needing funds to appropriately package and ship them to Honduras.  Support Needed: In-Kind and $12,000.

Honduran Eye Bank

As an outgrowth of our surgical missions, we have been asked by our Honduran partners to assist them in establishing the first eye bank in their country. Establishing a local eye bank is a long process but ultimately represents the only means of establishing sustainable access to cornea transplants for the many thousands of Hondurans annually who are in need of the sight-giving surgery. We are in the process of connecting our Honduran partners with the eye banking community in the US through which to obtain technical support. We also anticipate needed to assist them financially to cover initial registration, training and minor equipment costs. Support Needed:  $10,000.

Domestic Charitable Eye Care

We are planning to begin providing eye care interventions for those in our local community with critical need but are either uninsured or underinsured with severe financial hardship. We have already identified an uninsured person residing in Maryland with a disfigured left eye in need of prosthesis and unable to afford care.  We would like to start a fund to provide limited support in such situations.  Support Needed:  $10,000.

Ongoing Operations

We are in the process of gearing up the Foundation in order to effectively meet many more needs for critical eye care services in the coming year. Funds are needed to support our ongoing operations, including staffing and operational support to significantly expand this important mission.