Letters From Volunteers

Letters from our Volunteers

Jerry and Dorothy Beeve, USA, March 19, 2008

"Cyclone (hurricane) Gene was quite devastating to most of Fiji during our January 2008 Mission trip. Very high winds and driving rain-washed and flooded roads. Two of our Ophthalmologists were stranded in Nandi for two days, as the small inter-island planes were not able to fly in these conditions. Electricity went out at our hospital in Savusavu four different times (up to two hours at a time). But, God was once again on our side. We were never in the middle of a surgical procedure at the time of an outage so our patients were never compromised. In spite of these severe weather conditions, we were able to perform an awesome 168 sight-saving surgeries for the Fijians. Our team of volunteers is truly great. We work thru all obstacle and weather conditions for the Fijians."

Anis Yusef, Consultant Anesthesiologist, Sidney, AU.

"I am a consultant anesthesiologist based in Sydney, Australia. 2008 was my 4th year volunteering with the Beeve Foundation in Savusavu, Fiji. Back home I work in a major refer tertiary hospital teaching center-based facility. There are no facilities here in Fiji to do any form of general anesthiology. No machines, gasses and no drugs, no laryngoscopes and no facilities for incubating a child. So when we were faced with cataract surgery for a six-year-old, we had a round table conference with the team and developed a way to do it under sedation and local anesthesia. Quite a contrast to Sydney. I have heard of grandparents who have never seen their grandchildren, who have been totally blind for ten years and are finally able to see their grandchildren thanks to the work of the Beeve Foundation. By coming to do work like this in Fiji I find its almost like a tonic, if you like, my tonic, my oxygen and I go back refreshed and happy with a new attitude to my patients."

Kate Sauer, RN, OR, Sydney, Australia

"I’ve been a registered operating nurse for over 30 years and have been coming to Fiji with Dorothy and Jerry Beeve for 12 years. This is my 12th trip volunteering. Back when I first started coming to Fiji I had no idea what to expect. At that stage there was only Dorothy, Jerry and a couple of other people. I remember we walked out onto the beach and there were 850 people waiting to be screened. Jerry gave me an instant lesson in how to screen people. We divided them into those who were totally blind and those who needed glasses. That’s how we met. That was my first trip. Eye surgery can be done on elderly people or frail people and it can be a new lease on life for someone, instead of sitting in a corner, not being able to see or cook for themselves or do anything. There are also so many young people who can’t work or go to school… there’s no brail so when you do cataract surgery on them their life is monumentally changed. That’s the rewarding part about our work. When the patch comes off and they look at you and smile with that beautiful Fijian smile, its really fantastic. It’s a great feeling and that’s why we do it!"

Jackie Powell, Volunteer Reception Manager, Bonavor (just outside Savusavu, Fiji).

"I’m from Savusavu, Fiji and grew up in Suva. My husband Harry and I retired here in 1999. Harry and I have been volunteering for the Beeve’s for the last five years. I really do everything, the unpacking, the cleaning, I just like to help in any way I can. I run the reception area where we see the patients first. Our job is to lead them in the right directions, to see the options. Those that need surgery we prep and take them right thru to the prep aand surgeons and from there they take over. The next day they come in for the follow-up and we take off the eye patches, and clean them up ready for the doctors to check them again. That’s the best day of all. The day I love to come to work. I love to come in and take the patches off… the looks on their faces are just unbelievable. To see people who haven’t seen for so long, who haven’t seen their children or grandchildren and then suddenly can see, ah, it’s a lovely feeling. Where else would these people get this kind of treatment? These are very giving and caring people. Nobody else locally or the hospital could do anything as great as what they do."

David Robinson, Optometrist, Christchurch, New Zealand

"I’ve had a practice in New Zealand for over 34 years. At home everybody over 45 needs reading glasses. Here in Fiji they haven’t had access to reading glasses so that’s a big part of what we do in Savusavu and outlying villages. The second major thing we do is cataract surgery. There are another number of conditions here we don’t see so much at home. A lot of infections. When things go bad they tend to go really bad in the heat and humidity. Today I saw a little boy who is 15 years old selling peanuts. I said “why aren’t you at school?” He said, “I’m here helping my family. My father has had an accident. He’s lost his eye. So he can’t work.” This 15-year-old boy hasn’t gone to school for three years so that he could sell peanuts to feed the family. Thousands of people here in Fiji would never have the opportunity to see again. Here if you can’t see your life is nothing. It’s really the end. That’s where the Beeve Foundation comes in to help people see again."

Donna Iljin, Ophthalmologic Technician, Glendale, CA

"I’ve been with Dr. Beeve since 1980. I worked first as a receptionist and then back office tech, surgery tech and Fiji Volunteer. In the beginning everything we had was outdoors. There were five of us. We went to the villages, we found patients, we brought them back, we nailed an eye chart to a palm tree and lined up coconut shells in the sand and paced off 20 feet and they read my Family Circle Magazine or the Bible to check t heir near vision. It was an amazing trip. It grew from the fab five in Glendale to what it is today with over 24 volunteers from many countries. We have volunteers from Australia, New Zealand and America. Nurses, optometrists, ophthalmic techs and equipment donated from all over the world. It’s incredible. We do operations for cataracts, UV exposure terigiums, and diabetic retina opothology. We give sight back to people. I remember two sisters came into the clinic for their eye exams and they hadn’t seen each other in a long time and certainly both of them had cataracts and were unable to fish for food. We did their cataract surgery and then the next day when their patches came off they turned and said, “your really old”. We just all laughed and we cried. It was the most wonderful thing. They hadn’t seen one another or their families for years. I think that Dr. Jerry Beeve and Dorothy Beeve have given their hearts and souls for 18 years. They think about these eye care missions every day of the year and look forward to it. It’s sincere and honest and it’s genuine. It’s a wonderful thing that everybody’s able to see again and that we can come back every year and do it again!"

Elizabeth Finn, RN, New Zealand.

"I’m from the Eastern Coast of New Zealand. I’ve worked in Operating Theaters since 1970 doing orthopedics, plastic surgery, gynecology and general surgery. The last time I volunteered to work at the Beeve Foundation Eye Clinic at the Savusavu Hospital, I really wanted to stay at the end of the mission and do more. You could see the crowds. In fact a couple of days you could see over 300 people out there. I wish we could stay and do some more surgeries or just help the doctors do some stitching up or minor surgery. The Fijians are lovely, they are so grateful. All ages. And to see the smile on their faces. Fantastic!"

Greg Taylor, Manager Jean-Michel Cousteau Fiji Island Resort and The Savusavu Community Foundation, Savusavu, Fiji.

"This is the 5th year for the Beeve Clinic here. It’s been a wonderful move. There’s a real need in this part of Fiji. We’re on the second big island up north and there are very limited facilities in any type of health care so we’ve been very fortunate to be help give support for the thousands of exams and operations. Many Islanders helped would have been blind for the rest of their lives. We provide all the on-ground logistics and work closely with the airlines and transport of the groups coming here. We help provide accommodation and food for the team while they are here. This community is so fortunate to have the great work of Love and Care of the Beeve Foundation team of volunteers. We fully believe that this wonderful service is from the heart and therefore, from deep within our hearts, we wish the Team a big, big and huge Vinaka Vakalem for all the tremendous and excellent work provided for the community and the nation as a whole."

Irving Fang, .D. Ophthalmologist (Surgeon), Los Angeles, California.

"I am a comprehensive ophthalmologist with a sub-specialty in glaucoma. The amazing thing about doing surgery in Fiji is that we have a tiny set-up that is very technologically advanced. We have the best equipment donated and brought to Fiji by air. We do lens measurements, lens calculations, have laser lamps, interoculenses and from a United States of America standpoint it is very similar. Here we actually had to ship everything in across the Pacific Ocean into a little town in Fiji on several planes, truck rides and ferry crossings. We also import standards, sterility and supports and provide that here in Fiji, which is amazing. A lot of these patients live in outlying islands so they actually have to take a several or ever 12-hour boat ride in order to seek some medical treatment from us. I think doing this type of work in this world environment requires a special and unique type of individual. Here, a lot of us wear multiple hats and do different tasks throughout the day. You can’t keep your humility and say, “OK this is what I want to do, and I want to do a surgery, get me this, give me that.” Everyone’s already stretched to the limit. So what you need to do is be a jack-of-all-trades. It’s a very rewarding experience knowing that you can actually get with a group of people, which is just fantastic. It’s very heartwarming because all of us are sort of working together, you reach a common goal, which is to do as many surgeries as we can, and impact and improve as many lives and people here as we can. It just leaves a warm spot in my heart knowing I work with a lot of people like that here in Fiji."

Harry Powell, Volunteer, Retired Electric Company President, Savusavu, Fiji.

"I live in Bonavor just outside Savusavu and have been retired for the last 8 years. This is my 5th year that I’ve had the pleasure of working with the Beeve Foundation. My wife, Jackie, and I look forward to coming every year and working as volunteers with them. I’ve assisted Dr. Beeve in setting up a lot of equipment including the laser equipment and the split lamps. I’ve has to make myself more efficient in carpentry to put the split lamp together a new table which is something which requires a fair amount of precision. Somehow I managed to get that done and that was quite an achievement for a man trained in electronics and management and sales. My challenge is to be great immediately. It a bit greater because we normally don’t have any circuit diagrams to assist me. Some of the nurses say, “Well God’s giving you a bit of assistance”. Sometimes I think that’s not far from the truth. It’s a wonderful thing they are doing and they are serving a community in Fiji that otherwise wouldn’t have the opportunity to improve their sight. We really feel good about it. It’s often said; “you’re put on this Earth for a purpose” well those 10 days of the Beeve Foundation eye care mission is purpose enough for me."

Marta Vallez, Opthalomalic Technician, Beeve Eye Care Center, Glendale, CA.

"I live in Burbank, California and I’ve been working with the Beeves since 2001 as a back office supervisor Ophthalmic Technician. This is my fifth year coming to Fiji. Just to come back and see the people this way is a very humbling experience. A majority of the people we see are cataract patients. You got some terigiums and a lot of other things like toxoplasmosis. There’s just not enough clean water here. Not enough medical care and tons of diabetes and trauma injuries. For me, personally, it’s a wake-up call. Thanks to the Beeves it brings me in touch with my higher power who I choose to call God, After coming back from these trips it just renews everything I have in faith. These doctors don’t need to come here; they don’t need to do this… the hard work, the set-up, the tear-down. It’s selfless. They give so much of themselves it humbles you. They are awesome and wonderful people. When I go home from volunteering here in Fiji with the Beeve Foundation team, it’s a grain of sand to come here and help. These people really need the eye care help. No matter what’s going on here, everybody has a good sense about himself or herself. It’s like, “pick yourself up and keep going”. It’s really neat."

Maureen Bise, Opthomolic Technician, Beeve Eye Center, Glendale, CA.

"I’m from La Cresenta, California and I’m here with the Beeve Foundation for the weeks of surgery in Savusavu and happy to be here. I’ve been coming here to volunteer for 9 years. This is one of the most organized missions that I’ve ever been on in the world. I screen the patients for the doctors. We pick out people who are led in by someone else and know that they can’t see. The day after surgery the patients come in with a patch on their eye and we take it off. This is the best part of my job is taking the patch off. The most exciting time is the patient being able to read the eye chart for the first time in years. This is what we came here to do, restore their sight and return them to a productive life, whether it be fishing or taking care of their family or seeing their loved ones or children of great grandchildren, They’re very grateful and very loving people and are usually hugging, kissing or squeezing hands. It’s a very emotional time for these people. It’s wonderful to have had my daughter here. She loves the experience and gets a real different perspective on life. It makes a difference in our lives."

Melissa Bise, Volunteer, La Crescenta, CA

"I’m so fortunate to be considered a part of the Beeve team. Your generosity and beauty of spirit are a blessing to the Islanders of Fiji. I remember a famous saying, “people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them… they went out and happened to things!” Absolutely true."

Scott Beeve, M.D. Ophthalmologist, Laser/Lasik Surgeon, Partner Beeve Eye Clinic, Glendale, CA.

"Before I became a physician I always heard stories about my Dad coming to Fiji doing a mission trip and free cataract surgery and eye examinations. It was always a dream of mine to come here and help out the Fijians as well. Entering medical school was I had a main goal about helping people. In Fiji there is a big need for eye care and we definitely come there to help these people. Our main effort in Fiji is cataract surgery. They are much more mature than you find in the United States of America. Just think of closing your eyes and if there is a light-on or light-off with big shadows… that’s the kind of vision these people have. You see them led into the Clinic by family members so we can provide surgery for them and then the next day take the eye patch off and they can now walk out by themselves, independent of any help after that. It’s really rewarding and exciting to see that sort of turnaround in people’s lives. We actually work harder in Fiji than we do back in California. It is tiring once the trip is over; we’re exhausted because of the heat and work environment and the volume of patients we see. But once we get home it’s kind of relaxing to just reflect on the efforts we’ve made and feel satisfied with that. Once my father decides to fully retire, I want to keep coming to Fiji and keep helping. Anything anybody can do to help keep this mission running will be very helpful. When we remove the patch and see the reactions of the patients… that’s what makes it all worth it!"

Dr. Jerold Beeve, Opthmologist, Beeve Foundation Founder, Glendale, CA.

"We started doing this surgery over 18 years ago. At the Beeve Foundation for Eye and Health Care, Inc. we’ve been able to grow from five members on our very first mission trip to Turtle Island, Fiji, to over 26 medical volunteers at Savusavu, Fiji from all over the world. Part of our team every year is new and every year they tend to work without anyone telling them what to do. As top professionals they just fall into place. Next thing we know we’ve treated more people in Fiji with volunteers than is ever seemingly possible even in the United States with paid personnel. The need in Fiji is tremendous. The Islanders don’t have access to really modern care. When we’re able to provide this eye and health care to them and give them vision, it’s one of the most exciting things that we can do. We get to do this every year. Its costs money and time and energy for us, b but the volunteers that we have and the results of the procedures really make it worthwhile for us to do this. This is basically an international effort. Everybody on the team becomes friends. We look forward to seeing each other on other occasions during the year with the help of computers and emails. But we all come together at the same time and are able to provide this super specialized care. There’s no way this could ever happen if it wasn’t for my wife Dorothy, who is an RN. She’s the one who makes all the phone calls and is able to help acquire all the equipment and medical supplies and put it all together in the same place. She arranges all the airplane flights and lodging. She makes it happen every year."

Dorothy Beeve, RN, Co-Founder Beeve Foundation, Glendale, CA, USA.

"We came over to Fiji in 1989 on our 25th wedding anniversary and fell in love with Fiji and the Fijian people. We found a great need because the Islanders did not really have any kind of eye care and so Jerry and I decided we would come back and restore sight. In 1991 we did our first case at Turtle Island, Fiji, in the Osawa Islands. The first five times we did cataract surgery it was actually in our little thatched Bure. It is amazing that we have come from five people back then to 24-26 people today in Savusavu, Fiji. The team itself feels just like a wonderful happy family and everyone is so much fun to work with. We have all really bonded. Nobody complains about working too long or hard. We really enjoy bringing sight to the Fijian people. We spent 13 years of missions at Turtle Island and have been in Savusavu for 5 years now, where the Cousteau Resort has been absolutely helpful. They provide transportation, lodging and food and supply us with clean linens for surgery. They are always there for us with the Savusavu Community Foundation which they are a big part of. We hope to expand on our work in Fiji with the help of our two sons and our wonderful international volunteers. It’s truly a “Blessing Time” for the Islanders of Fiji every year."

Max Wright, Optometrist, Christchurch, New Zealand.

"I’m an Optometrist and I graduated form Auckland University in New Zealand and I’ve been working for over these last 40 odd years. I’ve been coming along to work with the Beeve Foundation for about the last 10 years. I really enjoy the work. It’s helping the community and our role as optometrists is to do the screening and finding out who has cataracts, who are visually impaired people. The Beeve Foundation surgeons look after them with cataract surgery. Our role is to also provide spectacles wherever possible and set them on their way. The first few years we had masses of patients coming here to the hospital in Savusavu where we set up the eye clinic. Now we try to get out to the villages because it’s quite an expense for some of the villagers to come to Savusavu. So we go to them. Because of the lack of visual care here the cataracts have had a chance to develop into mature white pupil cataracts. When you see a patient coming in who is guided with somebody holding their arm and bringing them in you know they can’t see. After the cataract surgery is done it’s really a great thrill to see them walk out on their own. You get quite a buzz out of helping people to see things again."

Sandy Skahen, Volunteer dispenser, wife of Steve Skahen, Anesthesiologist, Newport Beach, California.

"I’m a tax attorney, but here at the Beeve Foundation Clinic in Fiji, I help keep people and things organized. I was one of the first five volunteers. My husband Steve is an anesthesiologist and he worked for Dr. Beeve for many years in his surgery center. We became so overwhelmed with the patients here in Fiji that it has become necessary to add more volunteers each year. It’s a big funding challenge for such a small group. On the face it’s around $70,000 a year to bring the group over here. It sounds like a big amount but when you consider what you get for that amount and the fact that every dollar that we get goes directly into helping other people and that there is very little waste, it’s really a bargain for what we’re getting. In addition to helping people over here I feel like every year I’m reaffirming my commitment to the Fijians. We only see one another once a year and when we come together we work s hard as we can and we feel like we’ve contributed to a community that’s almost like our own even though we don’t live here. That’s what makes me feel good about it."

Steven Skahen, Anesthesiologist, Newport Beach, California, Original Volunteer.

"I imagine over time I would have not gone any particular year (I was an original volunteer) but I made my wife come with me the first year and she fell in love with the water, the land and the Islanders. She loves the people. So we come every year. It’s an important part of our life. I consider this my reset button. People ask why I am a physician and the answer is I’m here to take care of people and to be good to people. This time in Fiji gives us a really good chance to do that. I’m grateful for everything that is donated, included supplies and in-kind donations, the lenses and surgery packs. I buy all my own medicines every year, but there is a lot of equipment we need and that really adds up. We also do a lot of general medicine health care here, too. A lot of antibiotics. A lot of preventative medicine and public health work. That’s also what donations to the Beeve Foundation do. When people give and donate, it really makes it wonderful for the Fiji Islanders."

Ashu, Savusavu Volunteer at Eye Care Clinic at Hospital, Savusavu, Fiji.

"I’m excited to be volunteering here. I have been to the surgery room and I see plenty of new things, which I’ve never seen before. I can’t believe what I saw just yesterday. They give sight to people and I’m really happy to see them every year. After looking at what Dr. Beeve and all these doctors are doing in this clinic I changed my mind and I want to become a nurse now here in Fiji."