"I need new glasses because mine don't work," said Clarence, 80, a patient at OBI's clinic. "I could do more if I could see better."

OBI set up more than 20,000 square feet of tent space to serve as additional vision, dental and medical exam rooms outside their existing medical and dental clinics.

NEW ORLEANS - Clarence made his way though a maze of tents, concentrating on staying warm and keeping his place in line. He was one of hundreds who had arrived before dawn to fight off freezing temperatures in the hopes of seeing a doctor.

"I need new glasses because mine don't work," Clarence said. "I could do more if I could see better."

Clarence, 80, who is twice widowed and raised 10 children, lost his home when Hurricane Katrina hit. He went to Texas to live with his son, but after a week returned to New Orleans.

"This is my home," he said, "I had to come back."

But like thousands of returning hurricane refugees, Clarence came home to a place where health care was limited and the majority of residents now uninsured.

On this day, however, he along with nearly 600 other patients would receive free medical care thanks to Operation Blessing's "Medical Recovery Week," a week-long event offering free health care for residents devastated by Hurricane Katrina.

The event, held Jan. 28 through Feb. 3, was a collaboration between Operation Blessing and Remote Area Medical (RAM), International Medical Alliance (IMA), the New Orleans Health Department and the LA Department of Health and Hospitals.

More than 400 doctors, dentists and nurses volunteered, including a team of 38 from Minnesota’s Mayo Clinic. By the week’s end, more than 10,000 medical services from dentistry to cardiology had been provided.

"We are looking to do more where there is a high humanitarian importance and impact in the community and this was a perfect fit for our team," said Walt Franz, a family doctor with the Mayo Clinic.

Since April 3, 2006, OBI’s medical and dental clinics have treated more than 15,000 Katrina victims.

"This is a magnified version of what we've been doing here all along," said OBI President Bill Horan. "We are here to help."

For Clarence, help was as simple as receiving a new pair of prescription glasses. After being tested for glaucoma, he sifted through a mountain of frames until he found the perfect pair.

"It's worth the wait. . . . I am so happy now," he said. "I can see."

HOW YOU CAN HELP
You can help by making an online donation toward OBI's disaster relief efforts. With your support, we can continue to provide emergency relief and recovery. Please make an on-line donation today.

 

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