Dr. Newsom’s Daughter Madison Shares Her Experience About Her And Her Dad’s Recent Trip To The Dominican Republic!
During my President Day’s school break I went to the Dominican Republic to provide eye care to those in need. I worked with my dad, an ophthalmologist, on hundreds of patients, from the age of four to eighty-four. When we arrived at 8:30am at our location we would see people in lines waiting, patiently and impatiently, to get their eyes checked.
When entering through the gate at Cano Piedra at Saturnino de Jesus Pena School, we looked over to the yellow building that had loud sounds coming from it. Inside, the students, siblings, parents, and grandparents were lined up waiting to get their eyes checked. Most of the kids we saw could see 20/20 but we still examine each of them by placing lens over their eyes. My favorite part was watching them suddenly be able to see, which was amazing to watch, even if they truly did not need glasses a lot of the time!
Communicating with each person was a difficult experience, some could speak and understand more than others, it depended on the person. During our time at another location, the Cigar Family School, kids would peek through the blinds and watch us.
Throughout my time in the Dominican Republic I had so much fun seeing each individual person because you never knew what you were getting, a kid that could see 20/20, or a women that had such large cataracts it had caused her to go blind.
Going to the Dominican Republic with my Dad and helping people see is truly an amazing experience, and I am looking for to my fourth visit in 2019!
Madison Newsom
(age 15)