I am Dr. Neeraja Rateria, an Ophthalmologist as well as a Rotarian. For the last 9 yrs I am doing IOL project for my Club Rotary Club of Calcutta Metropolitan, Dist 3291. I am at present working with the MG #62155 in collaboration with your Club Irvine Spectrum Rotary Club. Here are some of the interesting cases that I have operated upon.
A young patient, 18 yrs old came to me with a traumatic cataract in one eye. He had sustained the injury about 8 yrs back and due to lack of funds could not get it operated.
On examination I found that he had a traumatic cataract in one eye with only light projection present. I was a bit reluctant as I felt he may not get very good vision but he insisted that whatever he gets he is willing to accept that.
I did his surgery and implanted an IOL in his eye. Post operatively for the first two days his vision was only 6/60 which improved to 6/9 in 10 days. He was very happy as he had as good a vision in this eye as his normal eye.
A lady, 40 yrs old was brought to my clinic, two people holding her and guiding her through to me.
On examination I found she had lost one eye to small pox and the other one had a large corneal opacity. There was a mature cataract behind the corneal opacity. She insisted that she had enough vision to carry out her normal activities before the onset of cataract.
As a last measure I agreed to operate on her but with a guarded prognosis. Surgery was a bit tough due to the corneal opacity and other complications. But to my surprise after the surgery when the bandage was taken off, she was walking on her own avoiding the furniture in my office and could recognize articles on my table. She was very happy and so was I. It is these patients who make my day.
An old man about 90 yrs old was brought by a local club boys for surgery as they found him sitting outside their club and crying his heart out that he cannot see and does not have enough money to get himself operated. On examination I found he was a frail old man with mature cataracts in both eyes.
On the operation table the man started talking to me in good English. He told me that he was an affluent man earlier and his relatives, taking advantage of his failing vision, made him sign away all his property to them. After this they threw him out of his house. For the last 2 yrs he is literally living on other people’s mercy. When I opened his bandage, he was overjoyed and said Oh! I can see everything now. Now I am capable of fighting a legal battle with my relatives and get back my property from them.
The last I heard from the club members is that he is well on his way to getting back his property and business which is enough to maintain him for the rest of his life.
These are some of the interesting anecdotes but all patients have some story or the other. Most of them cannot afford surgery in private hospitals and have to wait for a long time in Government Hospitals. Through the work that is being done by Rotary Clubs in doing these IOL projects, some of the blind people belonging to the underprivileged section of Society get relief from their suffering.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
ISRC & Community Service
The speakers at today's meeting were a good example of what our club is all about on the local level.
Kimberly Beeson, Executive Director of Irvine Adult Day Care Services explained the Irvine Adult Day Care Services program which provides professional care, companionship and activities for seniors that need assistance and supervision during the day. They provide a place where families can take dependent elderly loved ones to be cared for during the day. In today's world this is a much needed service. ISRC supports them with a $3,000 annual gift.
The next speaker, Allena Kaplan, was from Second Harvest Food Bank. Some of our members learned about their program by working at their facility in El Toro during Rotary work day. Second Harvest provides food to agencies that distribute it to people in need. Many people receiving this food are working families unable to make enough money to pay the high cost of rent, essentials, and buy enough groceries for the month. We learned Second Harvest receives the food through food drives, donations, and farming land.
Kimberly Beeson, Executive Director of Irvine Adult Day Care Services explained the Irvine Adult Day Care Services program which provides professional care, companionship and activities for seniors that need assistance and supervision during the day. They provide a place where families can take dependent elderly loved ones to be cared for during the day. In today's world this is a much needed service. ISRC supports them with a $3,000 annual gift.
The next speaker, Allena Kaplan, was from Second Harvest Food Bank. Some of our members learned about their program by working at their facility in El Toro during Rotary work day. Second Harvest provides food to agencies that distribute it to people in need. Many people receiving this food are working families unable to make enough money to pay the high cost of rent, essentials, and buy enough groceries for the month. We learned Second Harvest receives the food through food drives, donations, and farming land.
Irvine Spectrum Rotary Meeting August 13, 2008
Every member of our club is asked to give a “craft talk”. Its purpose is for the club members to better know each other. We find out a member's interests, their paths and how they became a part of our club. We each have a story. It is fun and amazing to learn about how life has formed a person.
This week Diane Braasch spoke about her life. Diane is also our club caterer. It was great getting to know her better and learn of her journey from Chicago to today. Diane has a great outlook on life, always making the most out of what it has given her and of helping others along the way. Thank you Diane for sharing your story with us.
It was also the club's honor to present Carl Batzanti with a Paul Harris membership at this meeting. Thank you, Carl, for your generosity and being a part of our club.
We also had a speaker from Second Harvest Food Bank. Some of our members learned about the Second Harvest program by working at their facility in El Toro during Rotary work day. Second Harvest provides food to agencies that distribute it to people in need. Many people receiving this food are working families unable to make enough money to pay the high cost of rent, essentials, and buy enough groceries for the month.
This week Diane Braasch spoke about her life. Diane is also our club caterer. It was great getting to know her better and learn of her journey from Chicago to today. Diane has a great outlook on life, always making the most out of what it has given her and of helping others along the way. Thank you Diane for sharing your story with us.
It was also the club's honor to present Carl Batzanti with a Paul Harris membership at this meeting. Thank you, Carl, for your generosity and being a part of our club.
We also had a speaker from Second Harvest Food Bank. Some of our members learned about the Second Harvest program by working at their facility in El Toro during Rotary work day. Second Harvest provides food to agencies that distribute it to people in need. Many people receiving this food are working families unable to make enough money to pay the high cost of rent, essentials, and buy enough groceries for the month.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
OC Register Publisher Speaks at ISRC
You drink your cup of coffee, read through your Orange County Register and everything seems the same as it always has been. Well, not exactly. Terry Horne, the president and publisher of the Orange County Register presented us with an overview of the newspaper publishing business and how it has changed. In fact, In the last 2 years, the newspaper business, as we have always known it has had to make drastic changes.
The newspaper industry is beginning to learn what customer service is all about. So, what do readers want? Today’s readers want news here and now and that means quick access by way of the web and cell phone. Therefore, Orange County Register has been shifting to more on line, quick information way of presenting the news. Notwithstanding, Mr. Horne emphasized the importance of the more “traditional” news reporting to our society.
It provides us with unbiased information about what is happening in the world through various investigative news reporters. We must make sure that this form of news reporting does not disappear. Indeed, Google, Yahoo, Fox news etc still get their information from news reporters, getting that information virtually free of charge and then passing it on to the end users.
Pointing out the economic dilemma facing newspapers, Mr. Horne also mentioned that advertising income has shrunk drastically due to current economic conditions and therefore newspapers must look to other sources for income. In addition, they must retain existing advertisers who, more often than not, move to web advertising. As he stated, it is less costly to retain customers than acquiring new ones.
In conclusion, this was a very insightful presentation by a very dynamic speaker who gave us all a glance into the publishing business and the challenges the current business model faces.
The newspaper industry is beginning to learn what customer service is all about. So, what do readers want? Today’s readers want news here and now and that means quick access by way of the web and cell phone. Therefore, Orange County Register has been shifting to more on line, quick information way of presenting the news. Notwithstanding, Mr. Horne emphasized the importance of the more “traditional” news reporting to our society.
It provides us with unbiased information about what is happening in the world through various investigative news reporters. We must make sure that this form of news reporting does not disappear. Indeed, Google, Yahoo, Fox news etc still get their information from news reporters, getting that information virtually free of charge and then passing it on to the end users.
Pointing out the economic dilemma facing newspapers, Mr. Horne also mentioned that advertising income has shrunk drastically due to current economic conditions and therefore newspapers must look to other sources for income. In addition, they must retain existing advertisers who, more often than not, move to web advertising. As he stated, it is less costly to retain customers than acquiring new ones.
In conclusion, this was a very insightful presentation by a very dynamic speaker who gave us all a glance into the publishing business and the challenges the current business model faces.
Monday, August 4, 2008
Reading by 9
It is always a good event when a group of Rotarians get together to accomplish a good cause. And so it was on Wednesday, July 30th, when the Irvine Spectrum Rotary Club pitched in the manpower to collect thousands of new or slightly used books for Reading by Nine, which is a program designed to inspire the youth to read and enjoy books.
In 1998, the Los Angeles Times launched Reading by 9 in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties. Reading by 9 is a multi-year campaign aimed at helping kindergarten through third-grade students read at grade level by the age of nine.
In Southern California, four out of five third-graders cannot read at grade level. Research shows that children who fail to read by the age of nine rarely catch up later. In many cases, these children may never be able to realize their full potential or contribute and participate fully in our society.
The Irvine Spectrum Rotary Club enthusiastically took up the responsibility and did their part to help these children. The first team of Rotarians met at 11:30 at the main gate, and right away were collecting books. The next team began their work at 2:00 and the last team worked from 4:00 to as late as 6:45.
All enjoyed the chance to be together and some shared the experience of the OC Fair together after hours of hard work at the gates.
These hard-working Rotarians deserve a hearty thanks and pat on the back for taking on the responsibility of collecting so many books, which should help to change the lives of so many children.
In 1998, the Los Angeles Times launched Reading by 9 in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties. Reading by 9 is a multi-year campaign aimed at helping kindergarten through third-grade students read at grade level by the age of nine.
In Southern California, four out of five third-graders cannot read at grade level. Research shows that children who fail to read by the age of nine rarely catch up later. In many cases, these children may never be able to realize their full potential or contribute and participate fully in our society.
The Irvine Spectrum Rotary Club enthusiastically took up the responsibility and did their part to help these children. The first team of Rotarians met at 11:30 at the main gate, and right away were collecting books. The next team began their work at 2:00 and the last team worked from 4:00 to as late as 6:45.
All enjoyed the chance to be together and some shared the experience of the OC Fair together after hours of hard work at the gates.
These hard-working Rotarians deserve a hearty thanks and pat on the back for taking on the responsibility of collecting so many books, which should help to change the lives of so many children.
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