Eyes Wide Open: Transforming Lives One Surgery at a Time

I recently had the incredible opportunity to travel with friends to a remote corner of Guatemala to perform cataract surgery. With resources limited, we transported much of our equipment and supplies to the site to set up the exam and surgical space. The patients we treated had cataracts so advanced that they relied on family and friends just to navigate daily life. The severity of their cataracts required surgical techniques far different from what we typically use in the United States.  

It was truly a privilege to restore vision for patients who would otherwise have no access to this life-changing surgery—giving them the ability to see, move independently, and fully participate in life again. 

What is always most notable to me about these trips is how much I receive in return. There is something profoundly mutual about this kind of giving: while my patients regained sight, I gained a renewed clarity of my own—an appreciation for the blessings and opportunities in my daily life. These experiences serve as a powerful reminder that when we give, we often receive far more than we anticipate.  

And the beauty of this truth is that we do not need to travel across the world to give opportunities to serve that exist everywhere—at home, in our workplaces, and right here in our communities. Every act of giving is an invitation to experience the remarkable joy and perspective that comes with it.