Our Mission to Mexico: 2022

Wow! Our mission to Mexico was a HUGE success! Dr. Timothy Lynch, his son Sean, and our fantastic employee Alyssa, from Bay Eye Center in Plymouth, recently spent several days in Mexico helping people see better.

They, along with a team of fellow volunteers, gave more than 3,300 people a new perspective on life – by helping them see through a whole new lens.

The days were long – 10 to 12 hours at a time – but every second was worth it.

Dr. Lynch says, “They showed up by the bus load. The buses just kept rolling up and we helped every single person. We saw so many smiles, so we know our work was worth it.”

Every single person received a pair of sunglasses. Many of them received a pair of prescription eyeglasses.

Dr. Lynch said his 13-year-old son was up to the challenge from the very start. “Sean was a trooper! He didn’t complain once and he really enjoyed it,” he said.

And when asked about Alyssa, Dr. Lynch simply said, “I’m amazed by her.”

But it was Alyssa who was especially amazed by one woman who she will never forget. In fact, they now have a very special friendship that will last a lifetime.

“She was an elderly woman named Manuela and she was just so sweet and so kind,” Alyssa said. “She was one of the last patients after a long day. I asked her to come up so I could check her vision and all of a sudden, she just started crying.”

Alyssa had to call a translator for assistance. Most of the patients spoke Mayan, which provided an extra challenge at times.

“I just wanted to make sure she was OK,” Alyssa said. “That’s when she told me she couldn’t see anything. It was an emotional moment. I started crying with her. After a few seconds, I looked her in the eyes and told her that she was going to be OK and I was going to help her.”

Because Manuela was one of the last patients of the day, Alyssa was able to follow her from station-to-station. Nurses were on-hand checking for high blood pressure and diabetes. Manuela had both. She also has cataracts and glaucoma.

“I held her hand through the whole process,” Alyssa said. “By the end of the day, Manuela left with three pairs of eyeglasses and we ordered a fourth pair – and she was able to see!”

Manuela raises three grandchildren and takes care of her daughter, too.

“It was so touching to know that we were able to help her,” Alyssa said. “She gave me a hug and said thank you. She called me ‘family’. That gave me goosebumps. It was so amazing and so fulfilling. We just helped so many people and that’s exactly what my goal was from the start.”

Manuela actually returned the next day just to say hello to Alyssa. They exchanged phone numbers and addresses, so they can stay in touch.

“We also helped so many children who had no idea what it was like to see. Once they put glasses on they started smiling immediately and it was so amazing to witness that,” Alyssa said.

And those are just a few reasons why our team makes our missions a priority. It’s part of OUR mission – to help people see better here at home, and across the globe.

When asked if Alyssa had anything else to say, she ended with this, “If you can volunteer to help someone in need, do it. What you might lose in the moment, you’ll gain so much more in the end. Be a nice person and help someone who needs it.”

We hope you enjoyed reading about our amazing mission to Mexico.

From all of us at Bay Eye Center,

Thank you!

P.S. Here is a video with some highlights from our trip!