10-08 Update: Chair Jim Gascon announces "The Gift of Vision recipient, Mrs. Elica Angol, from Commonwealth of Dominica, will be arriving November 2nd. She will be staying at the Parkview Hotel, 713 E. Genesee St., Syracuse, NY 13210. Her surgery, a corneal transplant, will be on November 3rd. She will be staying with us for several weeks before returning to Dominica. Download the letter with information about Elica and a Participation Voucher for clubs to participate in this worthwhile project. I am available upon request for club presentations. I thank you all for your continued support of the Gift of Vision projects. - Jim"

8-7-07 Update: Chair Jim Gascon announces "The Gift of Vision Dinner Celebration will be held at 6:30pm on Aug. 21st at the Rusty Rail. Dinner will be at 7:00pm. Donation is $15 per head and $25 per couple in advance and $20 at the door. Download the flyer to register, and come celebrate with Kishma."

7-9-07 Update: Chair Jim Gascon announces "The Gift of Vision child arrives July 28 and stays until Aug 28th. She will be at the Ronald McDonald House beginning Aug 7th and surgery is anticipated for the second week in Aug Her name is Kishma Alexander and she is from the Island of Dominique".

Download the Club support form & share the joy.

3-31-07 The Gift of Vision Program Chair Jim Gascon announced at the District Assembly that the 2007-08 Gift of Vision Program will be hosting Kishma Alexander in 2007. Kishma is a 13-year old child from the Carribean Island country of Dominique. Kishma suffered from an eye disease which left her legally blind in both eyes. She needed corneal transplants in both eyes. She successfully received a corneal transplant in December of 2005. Dr. Sylvia Norton performed the surgery. She reports Kishma’s vision is near 20/20 in the eye that received the surgery.

Kishma will return to us to have a corneal transplant surgery in the second eye. Kishma is a special child who, despite her vision impairment, has remained at the top of her class in school. We anticipate Kishma will be accompanied by her parents for this surgery. How to Participate: Your club can participate in this important project through a $600.00 contribution and the appointment of a contact person from your club. Download the form here.

1-06 The Gift of Vision Program Chair Jim Gascon announced in his visits to Clubs that this very worthwhile program is an offshoot of the Gift of Life program. Attending with Jim were Gift of Vision recipient Krishma Alexander and her parents Randy Alexander and Andrina Remy. Krishma underwent eye surgery last Wednesday, receiving a cornea transplant from a young child donor. (Most heartfelt thanks to the family of the donor in their unspeakable sorrow to be so thoughtful and generous.) Krishma’s vision has already improved from 20/400 to 20/100, remarkable progress in such a short time. Her father spoke briefly about their home in the small (not much larger than Oneida Lake) unspoiled Caribbean island of Dominica, and thanked Rotary for what has been done for their daughter. Dominica has hopes of becoming a tourist destination, and Randy invited us to visit the national website.

12-05 The Gift of Vision Program Chair Jim Gascon announces that the latest Gift of Vision recipient, Kishma Alexander, has arrived in Syracuse. She arrived with her parents Randy Alexander and Andrina Remy on Friday Dec. 16th from the Island of Dominica. They are currently staying at the Ronald McDonald House in Syracuse. Kishma is scheduled to have cornea transplant surgery on Wednesday Dec. 21st at noon. Dr. Sylvia Norton will be performing the surgery. If your club has not already participated in the project this year I encourage you to do so. Your club can participate with a contribution of $600. Smaller clubs may combine for $300 each. As Kishma and her family will be staying through the Christmas holiday (their religion is Catholic) I would also encourage each club in the District to consider leaving a present for them under the tree at the Ronald McDonald House. This will make their Christmas away from home a little brighter. Thanks to all Rotarians and clubs who have participated in this most worthwhile program.

On November 23, 2001, a child arrived from the Country of Sierra Leon to receive the Gift of Vision. The child is 16-year-old Neneo Koroma. She became blind at the age of 10 years after contracting an infection in her eyes. The application of "traditional medicine" in her native country burned her corneas, leaving her legally blind. Through a project sponsored by the Central New York Rotary Clubs called the "Gift of Vision", all of this child's medical, travel, lodging and related expenses will be covered.

On November 28th, 2001, Dr. Sylvia Norton, a local ophthalmologist, performed a cornea transplant, restoring Neneo's sight. For the first time in over 6 years this child became sighted.

The project is the culmination of the generosity of many Central New York people and organizations. The child was referred to Dr. Norton by a Senegalese doctor who had previously received training from Dr. Norton here in Syracuse. The 44-member Central New York Rotary Clubs which constitute Rotary District 7150 sponsored and coordinated the program. Dr. Norton donated her surgical services; Dr. Chandrrasekhar donated her services as the pediatrician; Dr. Davuluri donated his services as the anesthesiologist. The Madison Irving Medical Center donated the surgical room, and the Central New York Eye Bank donated a cornea for the transplant. The child and her guardian stayed at the local Ronald McDonald House.

Jim Gascon, Eastwood Rotary, Chairman, Gift of Vision, Rotary D7150

The following District 7150 Rotary Clubs sponsored our first Gift of Vision child:

Syracuse Rotary Club
Canastota Rotary Club
DeWitt Rotary Club
Eastwood Rotary Club
New Hartford Rotary Club
Oswego Rotary Club
Rome Rotary Club
Sauquoit Rotary Club
Baldwinsville Rotary Club
Utica Rotary Club

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