Photo By Maj. Nathan DeVoe | Petty Officer 3rd Class Jessica Travieso, a hospitalman and an optometry technician...... read more read more
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NORWICH, N.Y. - Residents traveled from all corners of Chenango County to Norwich High School to receive medical, dental, ophthalmic, and veterinary services, all at no cost to the community. As the day progressed, the optometrists and residents knew that the crowds waiting for eye exams would fill the school’s halls, but they had no idea that what they were about to see would fill their hearts.
Keith and Susan Menard, of Oxford, New York, entered the hallway leading to the optometry section of the Greater Chenango Cares Innovative Readiness Training (IRT) mission on July 22, 2015.
The couple drew a lot of attention from others because Susan walked with a cane, as a result of recently being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Keith walked by her side holding his wife’s belongings in one hand, and carrying her mobile oxygen tank in the other.
Keith’s hands were full, but Susan maintained at least one free hand as much as possible so that she could communicate with her husband. Keith was born completely deaf, and the couple figured that they would have to rely on Susan to perform sign language for Keith to follow the directions of the providers.
Keith was called into the office for an eye examination, and they both approached the optometry technician’s desk. Susan explained to the Navy technician, Petty Officer 3rd Class Jessica Travieso, a hospitalman from the Naval Ophthalmic Support and Training Activity (NOSTRA) out of Yorktown, Va., that her husband was deaf, and she would be present during the exam to help them communicate.
Travieso’s position at NOSTRA involves minimal, if any, patient interaction, as her job is to support the unit’s mission of making glasses. However, her role as an optometry technician during the IRT mission required communicating with everyone, and she planned to take full advantage of this unique opportunity to be of service, so she simply signed “good morning.”
“When I met him, I decided to try it out,” explains Travieso of her signing with Keith. “I told him good morning and he was surprised that I actually knew, so we had a little conversation.”
“The only reason I know how to do sign language,” Travieso continues, “is because at NOSTRA we have deaf people from The ARC, and they teach me how to do sign language throughout the day so that we can communicate.”
NOSTRA partners with The ARC, a national community-based organization that advocates for individuals with special needs to provide employment and inclusion for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Travieso does not sign fluently, so she relied on Susan to fill in the communication gaps for Keith, but describes the brief interaction with Keith as special.
“For me to be able to speak one or two (words) to him means a lot, and I saw that when I met them. I get excited because I actually know how to do it. I can speak to someone without even speaking.”
After Keith’s exam, providers and patients stopped what they were doing to watch the final conversation between Keith and Travieso.
“I think he stole the show,” remarked Susan. “Everyone was smitten with him.”
After Keith and Susan received their new glasses, they hugged and shook hands with the service members thanking them, and telling them how pleased they were with the medical, dental, and ophthalmic services they received during the IRT.
“I’m so appreciative of what we’ve had done,” Susan remarked, “because I might have had to put it on the backburner until I lost all of my teeth, because you make choices to (either) get your medicines, or get your teeth fixed.”
The experience was brief, but may have had an equal, if not greater affect on Travieso.
“At NOSTRA we don’t necessarily see patients. We just make glasses, so I have no patient interaction. I joined the Navy to see patients, so if this is what the Navy has to offer, I will stay in for this,” Travieso concluded.
| Date Taken: | 07.25.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 07.25.2015 22:56 |
| Story ID: | 171117 |
| Location: | NORWICH, NY, US |
| Web Views: | 148 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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