BrookeSachs
Newbie
- Joined
- Nov 7, 2011
- Posts
- 7
Hello there,
Let me start by saying I'm new to these forums. My wonderful housemate suggested I come here to meet you all. I feel bad that I'm starting with a request to you, but I have a rather urgent question for you all if you think you can help.
Before I ask for your help, I should tell you a little bit about myself.
I'm a happy person. I'm bright and bubbly. I'm also incredibly dedicated, passionate and hardworking. You need to have all of those qualities to be a medical student. We're pretty dedicated people - we're no longer in degrees where grades only matter for your transcript. Everything you learn in Medicine matters for the future. Not for our own love of science or worldly curiosity but because we will ultimately be responsible for what happens in someone else's life. That's pretty scary but that was what I signed up for almost a year ago.
That said, I love Medicine. It is the most fulfilling thing I have ever done. I get to speak with great people everyday, some of whom are living with conditions I wouldn't wish upon my enemy. These people inspire me to do my absolute best.
Seeing people receive great care in Australia is amazing. It also makes me that much more aware of the less-than-adequate care that is affordable to our fellow humans across the world. While I have given money to charity for much of my life, I thought I should use some of my adulthood to help others in ways that money cannot. This is why I decided to volunteer at the Crystal Eye Clinic in Ghana this January. There, I will see 100-300 Ghanaians, all of whom would otherwise have zero access to sight-saving services. I have been completing training for this program for a number of months. But don't worry, I won't be performing any surgery - I will be helping out with patient education on the myriad eye conditions that Ghanaians face. I have sourced 500 pairs of glasses to donate to the eye clinic to help these people see again. I am fundraising to pay for eye surgery for those who need it.
So what I'm hoping you will be able to me with is getting to Ghana. With your Donations of QANTAS frequent flyer points, we can together empower Ghanaians. A total of 200 000 points is required for a return flight. I spoke with a QANTAS rep and they were happy for you to donate to my account. If you think you could help, please, please send me a personal message.
You might ask, why sight?
Well, to that, I ask -
“What would it be like to go without sight?”
I'm a visual learner. My desk is currently covered with colour-coded post-its for my 80% Barrier exam.
Of the 25 million people who live in Ghana, more than 800 000 are visually impaired or blind and of those, 75% of cases are preventable and treatable. This is in a nation where 50% of the workforce is in agriculture or industry, where 30% are unemployed and where the GDP per capita is $2500 US. In Ghana, sight is essential for prosperity.
This is why I am asking you to be inspired by this volunteer effort. I cannot get to Ghana on my own. While I do not have the monetary means to make this happen on my own, I am not asking for a handout. I came across a quote recently by Lilla Watson – “If you have come to help me, you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is tied up with mine, let us walk together”. Let us walk together to empower Ghanaians in their own lives.
For each person who assists us, there will be a password-entry online collection of photos. For those of you who donate 20 000 points or more, you may select an 8” by 6” photo for printing.
If you wish to follow our progress (even if you can't or do not want to donate points), I will be blogging at ghanavision.wordpress.com. You can follow me on twitter @ghanavision as well.
Most gratefully,
Brooke Sachs
Let me start by saying I'm new to these forums. My wonderful housemate suggested I come here to meet you all. I feel bad that I'm starting with a request to you, but I have a rather urgent question for you all if you think you can help.
Before I ask for your help, I should tell you a little bit about myself.
I'm a happy person. I'm bright and bubbly. I'm also incredibly dedicated, passionate and hardworking. You need to have all of those qualities to be a medical student. We're pretty dedicated people - we're no longer in degrees where grades only matter for your transcript. Everything you learn in Medicine matters for the future. Not for our own love of science or worldly curiosity but because we will ultimately be responsible for what happens in someone else's life. That's pretty scary but that was what I signed up for almost a year ago.
That said, I love Medicine. It is the most fulfilling thing I have ever done. I get to speak with great people everyday, some of whom are living with conditions I wouldn't wish upon my enemy. These people inspire me to do my absolute best.
Seeing people receive great care in Australia is amazing. It also makes me that much more aware of the less-than-adequate care that is affordable to our fellow humans across the world. While I have given money to charity for much of my life, I thought I should use some of my adulthood to help others in ways that money cannot. This is why I decided to volunteer at the Crystal Eye Clinic in Ghana this January. There, I will see 100-300 Ghanaians, all of whom would otherwise have zero access to sight-saving services. I have been completing training for this program for a number of months. But don't worry, I won't be performing any surgery - I will be helping out with patient education on the myriad eye conditions that Ghanaians face. I have sourced 500 pairs of glasses to donate to the eye clinic to help these people see again. I am fundraising to pay for eye surgery for those who need it.
So what I'm hoping you will be able to me with is getting to Ghana. With your Donations of QANTAS frequent flyer points, we can together empower Ghanaians. A total of 200 000 points is required for a return flight. I spoke with a QANTAS rep and they were happy for you to donate to my account. If you think you could help, please, please send me a personal message.
You might ask, why sight?
Well, to that, I ask -
“What would it be like to go without sight?”
I'm a visual learner. My desk is currently covered with colour-coded post-its for my 80% Barrier exam.
Of the 25 million people who live in Ghana, more than 800 000 are visually impaired or blind and of those, 75% of cases are preventable and treatable. This is in a nation where 50% of the workforce is in agriculture or industry, where 30% are unemployed and where the GDP per capita is $2500 US. In Ghana, sight is essential for prosperity.
This is why I am asking you to be inspired by this volunteer effort. I cannot get to Ghana on my own. While I do not have the monetary means to make this happen on my own, I am not asking for a handout. I came across a quote recently by Lilla Watson – “If you have come to help me, you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is tied up with mine, let us walk together”. Let us walk together to empower Ghanaians in their own lives.
For each person who assists us, there will be a password-entry online collection of photos. For those of you who donate 20 000 points or more, you may select an 8” by 6” photo for printing.
If you wish to follow our progress (even if you can't or do not want to donate points), I will be blogging at ghanavision.wordpress.com. You can follow me on twitter @ghanavision as well.
Most gratefully,
Brooke Sachs
