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UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA >> PROJECT HEAL
HELPFUL HANDS
Project HEAL Ecuadorian Blankets Help Weave UF Med Students’ Global Medical Missions W R I T T E N B Y M A R L O W E S TA R L I N G
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ucked away in the folds of the Ecuadorian mountains, an elderly farmer suffers atresia of the eye, a condition in which the skin of his eye is chronically irritated. But with limited access to an eye doctor or medical facilities, he lives and works with the condition. Last March, Project HEAL finally found him. By providing the man with basic reading glasses and sunglasses, the team gave him a way to continue living and working without the condition getting worse — a form of medical help known as preventative care. UF’s medical students and professionals partner with local physicians to provide care for underserved Ecuadorians who otherwise wouldn’t get the medical attention they need. “The reading glasses [are] such a simple thing that they don’t have, and it makes a world of difference,” said Denise Manfrini, one of four trip leaders. “Especially women. They sew, and they make a lot of the blankets we sell. They need to see to be able to do that. It’s amazing because we take glasses of all different prescriptions, so then we give them three or so to try, and their face lights up when they find the right one.”
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OUR TOWN MAGAZINE
March/April 2020
The Project HEAL team serves about 100 people at each village they visit in Ecuador, totaling about 500 patients over the course of the trip. For some Ecuadorians, the medical help UF’s team offers is the only alternative to expensive and inaccessible medical facilities.