Update from Jono Pons, MD
Fall/Winter 2024
To our friends and partners in mission,
Dr Pons and his teams had a busy and blessed end to 2024!
- Eyes on Eswatini was such a highlight and an uplifting way to end the year. Dr Jean Hausheer and her husband Jim Meyer, Dr Juli Larson and her son Ryan, Dr Brian Joondeph and Dr Nader Beshay from Australia, all blessed and enriched the lives of our staff, community and patients. Many days of surgery and clinics for the doctors including helicopter outreach and the first Deaf Community Eye Care Day, sponsored by Foster a Missionary giving were all made so special by our guest Drs.
- The handy men Jim and Ryan that came along, joined forces with another visiting volunteer Andrew MacDonald, the father of our new Ophthalmology Trainee Kimberly, and renovated the home of a young quadriplegic Swazi lady who Mrs Helen Pons has cared for over many years. The encouragement and fellowship we shared with this joyful COS team will stay with us all forever.
- We farewelled the amazing our COS family at the start of November after joyously celebrating the 2nd Anniversary of the Grace Vision Clinic’s opening. We missed their energetic enthusiasm immediately but know the impact of COS’s generosity to our mission will be felt for years to come.
Eyes on Eswatini Tour
- A team of 3 Ophthalmic Assistants were sponsored to go to Durban for World Sight Foundation Training which was a very successful experience! One of the valuable topics covered taught Visual screening of Children and the networking opportunity was great for our young staff.
- Barry Lester, Northern British Columbia Board member blessed us again with an extended visit. A great month for him and our teams! He always serves so enthusiastically and was fittingly elected Board Chairman! We thank him for his mentorship and expert guidance in Optometry.
- In my life in Africa, I always believed in the efficiency of combining Medicine & Aviation. Longing to replicate flying doctor services & having built a partnership with Mercy Air Switzerland and prayed much, I was overjoyed when a Mercy Air Airbus Helicopter touched down on Mabuda farm runway to stay. Opening of the Hangar and Pilot Home was a great blessing, we thank God!
- Glaucoma & DRS Screening researched came together finally! Protocols look easy on paper, this is not true in practice! We formed the GGG’s: Grace Glaucoma Girls, a motivated team facilitating data collection for the first ever Glaucoma Screening study in the country.
- Disturbances in Mozambique began to impact numbers of clinic patients, adversely affecting finances. We pray daily for peace to return to our neighbours and safety for beloved clients.
- Kalahari trip #13 was a runaway success! A new record of 40+ surgeries in a day was a team effort that resulted in excellent outcomes. We pray for support for this mission to the neglected.
- December was a busy month with most other senior staff on holidays, I juggled clinics and surgery solo across 4 facilities, Grace Vision Ezulwini, Siteki & Matsapha & Good Shepherd.
- Keratoconus a condition in young people where the Cornea stretches, distorts to blindness and is a major driver of transplants. Heading this off in younger adults is possible through a technique called Cross-linking. We are so happy to now offer prevention at Grace Vision!
- I hosted the Eswatini Christian Medical fellowship in Mabuda. Several doctors and medical students from RSA joined local doctors for this first-of-a-kind fellowship.
- Dr Annorien Van Dyk CEHI trainee needing extra surgery time before starting at her hospital in the Drakensberg, Orange Free State, did 8 cataracts successfully & will save the sight of many.
- Fortunately, a quiet Christmas. Best Christmas gift, USA supporters making the hope of the purchase of a Pentacam closer so we may better treat Corneal conditions, and a being half-way to a fixed microscope.
Our deepest thanks to COS for the blessings to you have given us in 2024!
Sending you our love and warm greetings!
Jonathan and Helen Pons
