Team Eye And Ear

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

CONGRATULATIONS!

CONGRATULATIONS to all Team Eye and Ear members for completing the 112th Boston Marathon

Be sure to check out the select photos of select Team Eye and Ear members minutes after completing the marathon.

Also, please e-mail me (kristina_sym@meei.harvard.edu) any photos of yourself and team members before, during, or after the marathon. We will be trying to include select photos in our newsletter and I will also be sure to have the photos at the team wrap-up party.

Team member Richard Firth (right) with his proud son, Paul.

Team member, and MEEI OR Nurse, Peggy Kelley.

Rafal Urban

Bill Ramon

Meg Fitzgerald

Jason Emsley

Carlos Herrera knows that Team Eye and Ear is #1.

Alicia Priselac

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Fundraising Updates

Congratulations to Team Eye and Ear!

Total Fundraising is now up to $123,732.54!!

Double Your Donations: Ask your donors if their company participates in a matching donation program.
- Most for-profit companies participate. If they do, have them fill out the appropriate form to have their donation matched.
- People who have already donated to sponsor you can still participate. Don’t worry if the check will not be cut until after the May 21st deadline for all donations to be in. As long as we receive verification from the company, we could the matching donation towards your total.
*note*: if your company has a matching donation program, it is not too late to count your $100 non-refundable deposit (which everyone donated to Mass. Eye and Ear) towards your company matching donation program.*
**I encourage you to use these company matching programs – as it is an easy way to double your donations**
Please let me know if you have any questions!

A Fundraising Idea – Mother’s Day: Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 11. A great gift idea! Ask people to donate to Mass. Eye and Ear as a gift to, or in memory of, their mothers.

reminder: All Fundraising Due by noon on Wednesday, May 21. However, I strongly encourage all team members to do most, if not all, of their fundraising before the marathon, as it will be much easier. Remember, all team members are responsible for at least $3,000 fundraising.

Marathon Weekend Updates

John Hancock Sports & Fitness (Marathon) Expo:
- Hynes Convention Center, 900 Boylston Street, Boston
- Friday, April 18; 10am – 8pm
- Saturday & Sunday, April 18 & 20; 9am – 6pm
- Features more than 200 exhibiters
- Complimentary admission
- Why you need to attend:
- At the Mass. Eye and Ear booth (booth #203) on Sat. & Sun., 12:30pm – 2:00pm: pick up your Team Eye and Ear official singlet, t-shirts for your friends/family to cheer you on during the marathon, and a gift. *If you would like to meet marathon ledgend, Bill Rodgers, and were not able to during the kick-off party (or want to meet him again), make sure to stop by the Mass. Eye and Ear booth on either Saturday or Sunday by 12:45pm and tell one of the people staffing the booth (or look for me) that you’re a member of Team Eye and Ear and you’ll be ushered to the front of the line when Bill Rodgers comes to the booth at 1:00pm.
- At the BAA number pick-up table anytime the Expo is open: Pick up your bib number (remember to bring your “bib number pick-up card” and a photo i.d.), your computer timing chip, Boston Marathon participant t-shirt, and race packet. Learn more about this here: http://www.baa.org/BostonMarathon/WelcomeBooklet.asp#bibnumber1

Pre-Race Dinner:
- City Hall Plaza
- Saturday, April 19; 4:30pm – 8:00pm
- Learn more about the dinner here: http://www.baa.org/BostonMarathon/WelcomeBooklet.asp#preracedinner

Marathon Day (Monday, April 21, 2008):
- Remember to bring: your Team Eye and Ear singlet, your bib number, the computer chip (which you will receive at the expo with your bib number) worn on your shoe.
- 6:45 am – Buses begin loading from the Tremont St. side of the Boston Common in Boston’s Back Bay area. Buses will leave Boston for Hopkinton, the site of the starting line. You are strongly encouraged to take this bus to the starting line, as traffic and parking in Hopkinton will be very difficult. You must show your bib number before getting on the bus. For more information: http://www.baa.org/BostonMarathon/WelcomeBooklet.asp#transportationtostart
- Athletes Village – Near the starting line, at Hopkinton High School, where the BAA buses drop off. Entertainment, light refreshments, bottled water, Gatorade Endurance Formula, PowerBar, bagels, tenting, and portable toilets will all be available. You must show your bib number upon entering.
- 10:30 am – Start time begins for all Team Eye and Ear members.
- During the Race: There will be fluid stations along the course beginning at mile two. There will also a PowerGel Energy Food Station located just prior to the mile 17 fluid station
- After the Race: Be sure to turn in the black ChampionChip to receive your finisher’s medal. Arrange to meet your family or relatives in the designated Family Meeting Area located on St. James Ave and Stuart St from Berkeley St to Clarendon St. beyond the Finish Area exit. For more information about the family meeting area: http://www.baa.org/BostonMarathon/WelcomeBooklet.asp#familymeetingarea
- 5:00 pm – Boston Marathon Awards Ceremony @ Fairmont Copley Plaza Boston, 138 St. James Ave., Boston. For more information: http://www.baa.org/BostonMarathon/WelcomeBooklet.asp#specialevents
- 8:00pm – 12:30am – Post-race Dance Party @ The Roxy and Pure, 279 Tremont St, Boston. Dancing, entertainment and a video of the race will be shown. For more information: http://www.baa.org/BostonMarathon/WelcomeBooklet.asp#specialevents

Friday, March 21, 2008

You're Helping MEEI -- How is MEEI Helping Others?

Peters' Anomaly is a congenital disease that results in bilateral opacity of the corneas; cataracts and glaucoma can also be present, resulting in impaired vision. Four years ago, on the small Caribbean island of Barbados, Nathan Lewis was born with the disease. His vision was near 20/2000 in both eyes; he could only see light.

Nathan’s lack of vision affected his development and he used a walker to move around. Desperate to find help, his family first visited MEEI about a year and a half ago for medical treatment. An unfortunate fact is that cornea transplants often fail with this disease, and the first attempts to correct Nathan’s vision in the left eye were less than successful.

But his devoted parents, ever holding out hope that MEEI ophthalmologists could help Nathan, urged another attempt at giving him sight. His father left his job to travel to Boston so that Nathan could receive medical treatment.

With the support of the hospital’s International Office and Social Work Department, along with financial assistance from the Ray Tye Medical Aid Foundation, Dr. Shizuo Mukai placed a scleral buckle in Nathan’s right eye in September 2007 to reduce his risk of a retinal detachment. In later surgeries, Dr. Kathryn Colby removed the cataract from this eye, surgically implanted a Boston Keratoprosthesis (KPro), also known as an “artificial cornea,” and replaced the lens in the eye.

After the operation, Nathan began to walk on his own for the first time. The MEEI Optical Shop has donated eyeglasses to Nathan, whose vision is now 20/89. After several months in Boston, his mother and father will return to Barbados with Nathan, who will now be able to see his home for the first time, thanks to help provided by Ray Tye and a team of dedicated professionals at MEEI. “It is very difficult to restore vision in children with corneal scarring using traditional corneal transplantation techniques,” Dr. Colby said. “The Boston KPro offers hope for rapid visual recovery in these patients. Our entire team is thrilled with Nathan’s progress. This is truly a major advance in the care of children with corneal diseases such as Peters’ Anomaly.”

Dr. Kathy Colby, one of the many professionals at MEEI that helped Nathan see again,

in the clinic with Nathan and his parents, Kery-Ann and Mark.

MEEI Social Worker Lynda Ketcham gives Nathan a “Perkins Panda”
donated by the Lions Clubs International and the Perkins School for the Blind.

Money makes you happy - if you spend it on others

An article in today's Boston Globe states that new research proves that money can make you happy - if you spend it on someone else. Therefore you are helping others by asking them to donate to a good cause, which helps others -- Mass. Eye and Ear -- for your sponsorship for the Boston Marathon.

From the article: "There's so much benefit to the person who contributes to others that I often think that there is no more selfish act than a generous act," said Tal Ben-Shahar, author of the book "Happier" and teacher of the positive psychology course on happiness that is Harvard's most popular class.

It's a very interesting article. See the whole article here: http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2008/03/21/money_makes_you_happy___if_you_spend_it_on_others/?rss_id=Boston.com+--+Massachusetts+news

Thursday, February 28, 2008

$63,958.72

Team Eye and Ear's 60 members have currently collectively raised $63,958.72 for the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary to help fund hope for those individuals suffering from eye, ear, nose, throat, head and neck disorders.

Way to go team!!! Our goal is $200,000. There are 3 months left for fundraising (you have until May 21, 2008 to get all of your fundraising money in)!!