Photo By Pvt. Hunter Eastman | Four-year-old Jonathan Howard, a local resident, receives an eye exam from Maj....... read more read more
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LEECH LAKE INDIAN RESERVATION, Minn. -- For the first time in his life, a young boy can see. Instead of the blurry lines and smudges he’s grown accustomed to, a pair of temporary lenses provided by a U.S. Army Reserve optometrist has given him clarity.
Capt. Chynna Chandler, attached to the 7218th Medical Support Unit, out of Louisville, Kentucky, said, “It’s a rewarding experience to be able to take care of patients, and to help them see a little better or even give them the peace of mind that their eyes are healthy.”
This unit is not only providing medical care for children, but men and women of all ages at the Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig School in Bena, Minnesota, as part of an Army Reserve Medical Command partnership with Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe and Cass Lake Indian Health Service. The two-week medical mission is part of the Department of Defense’s Innovative Readiness Training program, a civil-military program that focuses on community needs such as infrastructure, health care, transportation and cybersecurity while enhancing military unit readiness. The no-cost medical services are helping both the community and the Soldiers in preparation for future mission requirements.
“It’s very uplifting to see that people are caring for us,” said Marguerite Greenleaf, a local resident and member of the Leech Lake Indian Reservation who stopped in to get a new eye prescription before she starts her freshman year of college.
Although the military eye clinic doesn’t have the capabilities to make glasses on the spot, they can diagnose a patient and point them in the right direction on what they need to do next.
For Jonathan Howard, a 4-year-old local resident, the Soldiers were able to provide a fun experience that could otherwise be perceived as a scary situation. As he stepped into the make-shift eye clinic, he was greeted with tools and devices that only make sense to the optometrists. That’s the only thing that mattered, however, as Howard was able to benefit from the tools, enabling him to see for the first time.
Maj. Matthew Simpson, an optometrist with 7218th MSU, helped Howard make sense of that confusion and provided a happy visit.
“I thought he needed glasses,” said Leona Wakonabo, Howard's grandmother, speaking to the optometrist during the exam. “He’s always bumping and running into things.”
Laughing, Simpson responded, “I’m 40 years old and I still run into things.” He reassured her, adding, “I’m sure it’s just because he’s a kid, but overall his eyes are developing well and they’re very healthy.”
Howard’s experience showcases the purpose of the IRT mission, which is to provide quality medical services to the members of Leech Lake Indian Reservation and surrounding communities in an effort to build ties to local communities and provide the Soldiers with real-world training.
As of July 18, the eye clinic has treated roughly a 100 patients, while overall the IRT mission has treated some 400 personnel, providing nearly 2,500 different medical services.
| Date Taken: | 07.18.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 07.30.2018 17:21 |
| Story ID: | 285378 |
| Location: | BENA, MN, US |
| Hometown: | LOUISVILLE, KY, US |
| Web Views: | 29 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Now you see me; ARMEDCOM Unit conducts IRT medical mission, by PV1 Hunter Eastman, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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