Swinging for the Fences - a Doctor's Take on Volunteering

I recently volunteered at a Washington Nationals Youth Baseball Academy event, supported by VSP Global. My most memorable patient was a fifth-grade girl who never had an eye exam. She was uncorrected at 20/200 in each eye. After the exam, I witnessed her seeing clearly for the first time. Her reaction? An ear-to-ear smile. 

She was an excellent athlete, so we discussed the possibilities now open to her for a sports career. She smiled, took a second, and then said, "That would be great, but what I really want to do is be a lawyer."

The Washington Nationals Youth Academy summer program is a summer-long, life skills academy using the power of baseball as the draw to engage disadvantaged youth like my patient about the importance of staying in school, eating right and living positively. 

I am currently the director of visual performance for the Nationals... click here for more.