Record Breaking First Event in York, PA

Posted on October 19th, 2009 by Jill N |

David Wakefield is a VSP Friends and Family driver and husband of VSP employee, Shelly Wakefield. He shares his experience during his first event with the Mobile Eyes team in York, PA.

I came into this event with a blend of curiosity and apprehension, not really sure what to expect. The team was fired up and putting together their game plan and I followed along hoping to be useful and not in the way. We were scheduled to see 102 people today which would be a new record for a one day event. I found that everyone, from the VSP team to the doctors and rotary volunteers, were all motivated to work together to overcome the unknowns to make this event a success.

We set up and were ready to begin right on schedule. The patients began to trickle in and we were blessed with a slow but steady warm up. We were wondering if the bad weather would be keeping the people away, but we soon found that the need to see outweighed the desire to stay dry and the long lines began to form. I was tasked with operating the auto-refractor and had the opportunity to experience the personalities of every patient who came in. The mix of emotions was astounding but everyone had one thing in common, they wanted to be able to see.

I remember one young girl who could not read the first line on the E chart and thinking how amazing it would be to be with her when she puts on her new glasses and walks outside for the first time. It was difficult to contain the mix of emotions, so I stopped trying and just enjoyed the time.

There was a family that really stood out with most of us working there. The parents had two sons, one in seventh grade and the other about three years old. The youngest boy was so full of curiosity and wonder that he immediately attracted our attention. He followed his big brother around through the process and was so involved in watching that he was frequently underfoot, but none of us seemed to mind. He even sat on my lap as I did the auto-refraction on his brother. It was fun to be able to share it all with this child. Finally it came to be his turn and there was no holding him back. He sat very still, following my every instruction. At one point there were so many people watching him that he became distracted and started to watch the spectators. Everyone left the room and watched though the door as I finished testing him. When we got the final OK on his test he gave me a double high five and the whole place erupted in cheers.

This was a profound moment for me. I saw 91 people today and every single one had their own story, their own happiness, their own sadness. The one thing they all had in common was they were happy we were there for them. I am thankful to be a part of this VSP team which gives me an opportunity to give back to those in our communities who need it the most.