Visionary Club Faces—Dr. Lawrence Birndorf

Dr. Lawrence Birndorf, a board-certified ophthalmologist who practices in Freedom, California, learned about Orbis from a friend who served as a Volunteer Faculty member. During his first Flying Eye Hospital (FEH) program in Calcutta, India, in 1993, Dr. Birndorf looked forward to sharing his expertise with local eye-care professionals.

But Dr. Birndorf could never have anticipated that he would perform cataract surgery with Mother Theresa by his side—an experience that, for him, has given new meaning to the term “operating theater!”

While Dr. Birndorf was in the middle of a procedure on the FEH, Mother Theresa came aboard to see the program in action—so he invited her inside the operating room to observe. After the surgery Dr. Birndorf gave Mother Theresa a tour of the FEH during which she spoke with the aircrew, medical team, and patients. She also told Dr. Birndorf about her own cataract surgery.

As remarkable as meeting Mother Theresa was, Dr. Birndorf has been just as moved by the long-lasting impact that Orbis has around that world—which he continued to experience on several more programs over the years.

“I know it sounds trite, but I got so much more out of my experience than I put in,” Dr. Birndorf recalled.

Having always found teaching rewarding, Dr. Birndorf is particularly impressed by the dedication of local eye-care providers and their eagerness to learn and serve their communities. More often than not, the plane’s onsite classroom facilities could not accommodate every participant, so lectures were watched via live video feeds in nearby buildings!

Dr. Birndorf observed Orbis grow from operating the FEH to establishing comprehensive, in-country programs to leveraging technology to reach doctors, nurses, and other eye-care workers in even the most isolated corners of the world. And he believes Orbis’s impact will only continue to grow—and one day we will live in a world free from avoidable blindness. Dr. Birndorf joined the Visionary Club so that Orbis will have the resources it needs to create that world.

“Although I support other nonprofit organizations, eye care is my priority because I have seen firsthand how restored vision gives women, men, and children the opportunity to escape poverty and live fulfilling and productive lives. By supporting Orbis, I know I am making a life-saving difference.”