July 18, 2009 marked the first death anniversary of my beloved Lola Mameng. She was 92 years old when she passed away. 92 years could be an eccentric figure for my Lola who was also deprived of the gift of sight.

She was blind for almost half of her life. I could not write the exact words to describe how life would have been like for my Lola who had even hardly seen her legacy - her grandsons, granddaughters, great grandsons and great granddaughters. My Lola Mameng had her last glimpse on my older brother when he was just an infant. The next generation of "apo" from my older brother downwards were completely out of the picture. Despite of being visually impaired, it was not a hindrance for my Lola to make her the best Lola we could ever imagined.

In honor of my Lola's first death anniversary, we had a Free Eye Clinic hosted by our clan at our residence for all our town folks. The free eye clinic had successfully served approximately 600 patients. Laid on the foundations of what Jesus had taught us, we got no other motives othen than exercising a simple act of love and kindness towards all our brothers and sisters who are in need of medical attention . This is also our way of showing our love to our Lola and how much we missed her.

Allow me to share the excerpt of the press release summing up the Free Eye Clinic Event.

Free eye clinic serves 500+ Cortes residents

In Cortes, the medically allied children and grandchildren of Anselma Tambis partnered with Ideal Vision and the Bohol Eye and Ear Clinic to bring in a mission to give free eye screening and check-up to Cortes residents with eye problems.

Apart from that, mission partners also give about 200 free reading glasses, brought in prescription glasses and screening equipment, specialists and technical support to serve the most number of indigent residents they could help in a day, says organizer Edgar Allan Tambis Rebosura.

Homing for their lolas first death anniversary and in time for the Tigum Bol-anon sa Tibuok Kalibutan in Bohol (TBTK), grandchildren of the clan whose works abroad are allied with medical courses, pitch in their counterpart in assisting their fellows during the mission held at the Rebosura residence in Barangay Salvador Friday, July 17, 2009.

We are targeting to help as much Cortesanons who could be struggling from the debility of being visually impaired, said another nurse grandchild who is also working in the US.

According to Rebosura, Dr. Roel Cabigting of the Bohol Eye and Ear Clinic also said those mission beneficiaries needing surgeries can also avail of another free mission, with the clan
providing transport and food requirements during a separate eye surgery activity to be held in August.

Personally handing out free eyeglasses to their determined indigent recipients are Dr. Ryan Patrollia, Ideal vision Center manager and Ideal optician Jason Lazara.

If we can prevent somebody from becoming blind, we know we can make our Lola Mameng happy, wherever she is right now, Rebosura, who is on vacation from his work as a nurse in Florida, said.

As late as 2:00 PM, Friday, the mission group dealt with about 20 possible patients for cataract surgery apart from those whose problems only need the right pair of glasses.

The mission also gave free eye screening for Infant King Academy freshmen and sophomores.

“They are about 214 students who would have the chance to get help, Rebosura explained as he cited a fact that most young people who have felt eye problems go to denial seeing
it as a problem only for the mature people.

Besides, asking money from parents for the eye screening and additional pair of reading glasses may be too much for these kids, so we are here to help them, clan spokesperson shared.

We are giving them the chance to get the right prescription glasses and perhaps give them the right glasses for free so their eye problems do not graduate into bigger trouble
in the future, he summed.