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Cataract Chronicles-25 years


As I celebrate my 25th year volunteering as an eye surgeon in Southeast Asia. I am delighted to share photos and stories about the vision challenges and the people and cultures of India, Nepal, Cambodia, Myanmar, Bangladesh, and Vietnam.  - Dr. Gary Barth

Chronicle 1 - Getting Started 

Many have asked: How did you get started doing charity cataract trips to Southeast Asia?

 

From my first experience as a medical volunteer (ironically ending up as an emergency eye inpatient myself)  to founding a private eye foundation—BBH Eye Foundation—there have been many exciting adventures that will be detailed in future Chronicle posts for the curious.

 

After finishing three years of premed at Williams College, I arranged a gap year to experience the medical profession directly. My first stop was as a regular volunteer at America’s famous Haight Ashbury Free Clinic. 

 

Quite unexpectedly, this volunteer work led me to spend five days as a patient at UCSF Moffitt Hospital. I had been accosted as I stepped out of the front door of the Haight Ashbury Free Clinic and ended up with an opaque bleed in my right eye.  

 

Until this time, I had zero interest in eye surgery.

 

Little did I know then, from this first medical volunteer job and my own serious eye injury, I would travel for over 25 years on 24 ocular charity trips to India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Cambodia, and Vietnam.

Support Dr. Gary Barth's philanthropic efforts and restore sight to people in need with a donation today >

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