002 - Global Heroes - September 2020

Page 53

HEROES CAN STILL FLY EVEN WHILE

GROUNDED

When the Orbis Flying Eye Hospital touches down, it’s an incredible sight. A plane unlike any other, it has flown training to eye care professionals in places with the greatest need for nearly forty years, giving them the skills to save and restore vision in their communities. This state-of-the-art facility has an operating room, classroom, simulation room, and recovery room, and has become a highly visible symbol for Orbis, an international nonprofit. “This work is essential,” says Orbis Canada CEO Lisa McKeen. “Many of us cannot imagine losing our sight because we couldn’t access a routine operation or a pair of glasses. But globally, at least 1 in 7 people live with blindness or vision impairment that could be prevented or addressed.” Orbis is committed to using the plane and other advanced technology to prevent and treat avoidable blindness. With more than 400 Volunteer Faculty (medical experts) from over 30 countries, Orbis provides training across the globe. Per capita, Canada boasts the largest number of Volunteer Faculty, a talented group of ophthalmologists, nurses, anesthesiologists, and other eye health professionals who donate their time to the cause. Now, with

“The ability to provide remote training during the pandemic ensures important skill-acquisition continues,” says Dr. Peter Kertes, a Toronto VR surgeon at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, who recently gave a presentation on Cybersight. “The platform Orbis has developed is world-class and provides a means to reach and impact thousands of professionals - perhaps never needed more than now as COVID-19 alters the way we learn and work.”

COVID-19 restricting travel and the Flying Eye Hospital temporarily grounded, Orbis’s investment in technology has proven essential in allowing this work to continue safely. For nearly two decades, Cybersight, Orbis’s telemedicine platform, has connected eye care teams to expert mentors, often in remote and conflict-affected areas where the plane could not travel. Now, it’s a lifeline, allowing education programs to continue in a time when in-person training often isn’t possible due to the need for social distancing. Amid the pandemic, Orbis has seen record-breaking growth on Cybersight, which now has 30,000 registered eye care professionals from 200 countries and regions, eager to learn and acquire new skills to advance patient care. The team at Orbis proves superheroes can still fly – even while their plane is temporarily grounded. Learn more about the work of Orbis Canada at Orbis.org.

Changing the way the world sees.


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Add ANTI-INFLAMMATORY superfoods to your diet

1min
page 74

HOW FARMERS GIVE BACK IN UNIQUE WAYS

2min
pages 72-73

CELEBRATE CULTURAL DIVERSITY THROUGH FOOD

2min
pages 70-71

On Common Ground: joining forces with RAVEN for Indigenous justice

3min
pages 68-69

THE TREADRIGHT FOUNDATION LOOKS TOWARD THE RETURN TO TRAVEL

3min
pages 66-67

NATURE . UNPLUGGED . OUTWARD BOUND CANADA IS EQUIPPING YOUTH FOR THE FUTURE THROUGH AUTHENTIC OUTDOOR ADVENTURES

2min
pages 64-65

SUPPORTING TRAVELLERS WITH GLOBAL MEDICAL SOLUTIONS

1min
pages 62-63

HOPE IN HAITI THROUGH MICROFINANCE

4min
pages 60-61

Food for the Poor Canada: How Canadians are answering the call to action

2min
pages 58-59

Breaking the poverty cycle! Water.org Co-Founder, Matt Damon talks about the power of WATER

7min
pages 54-57

HEROES CAN STILL FLY EVEN WHILE GROUNDED

2min
page 53

GETTING ONTARIO BACK ON TRACK ON CLIMATE

2min
page 52

HELPING YOU WIN AT WINTER

2min
pages 50-51

Protecting Canada’s Wildlife

4min
pages 48-49

Scientists harvest more eggs from near-extinct northern white rhino

2min
pages 46-47

HUMAN HEALTH DEPENDS ON THE HEALTH OF OUR ANIMALS & ENVIRONMENT

2min
pages 44-45

I AM LOVE Overcoming darkness through empowerment

2min
page 42

Give colds the cold shoulder YOUR WELLNESS KIT

2min
page 40

16 YEARS Average time it can take a woman to know that she has a bleeding disorder.

1min
page 39

HEALTHY HANDS START HERE

1min
page 36

THE WORKOUT TO HELP YOU EASE BACK INTO EXERCISE

2min
pages 34-35

AUTISM ONE MOTHER’S PERSPECTIVE

2min
page 33

TOP TIPS FOR AT-HOME LEARNING

1min
page 32

When fathers share the care

4min
pages 30-31

TEJIKA CHAND FROM VOLUNTEER TO COVID-19 FRONTLINE HERO

1min
page 29

Through the Eyes of a HOSPICE VOLUNTEER

1min
page 28

It’s TIME: Taking the Plunge for Marine Conservation

2min
pages 26-27

MAISON TESS: Authenticity Starts at Home

2min
pages 24-25

002 - Global Heroes - September 2020

1min
pages 22-23

#RISINGYOUTH: RESPONDING TO COMMUNITY NEEDS DURING COVID-19

2min
page 21

WITH BIKE CHAINS AND CAR PARTS AFGHAN GIRLS BUILD VENTILATORS

3min
pages 18-20

CHAMPIONS FOR CHANGE CELEBRITIES GIVE BACK

6min
pages 14-17

Sarain Fox The Power of Storytelling

4min
pages 2-3, 5, 7, 9-13

002 - Global Heroes - September 2020

2min
pages 1, 8

002 - Global Heroes - September 2020

1min
page 1
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