When Elena Barraquer invited me to participate in the Guinea Conakry expedition, I never doubted my affirmative answer.

But I never imagined that this experience would be so moving, special and transforming in every way in my life. we left Barcelona and on the Paris scale we completed the whole team: three Ophthalmologists, one Anaesthetist, two Instrumentalists, two opticians, 5 field assistants, plus the two heads of Equatorial Coca-Cola Bottling Company.

We all traveled with the common goal “To reduce the number of blind people due to cataracts”. On this trip we achieved 401 #nomorecataracts.

The days were very long, starting at 7.30 am and ending at 9.00 pm, days in which we operated an average of 80 cataracts, with patients often complex to resolve. At all times and despite the power cuts always the spirit of the people did not falter and with joy we passed the obstacles of being operating in conditions not entirely optimal.

The logistics that takes place in each expedition left me incredibly impressed. Everything was perfectly thought out including the solutions to the setbacks that might arise. In the expedition all the people of the team gave the best they had, so that everything went the best way.

I knew Elena Barraquer in a very close way that did not cease to amaze me of her tireless energy, of her surgical capacity, of her spiritual goodness to help the neighbor.

I want to thank: Elena Barraquer, Teté Ferreiro and Gerardo Valvecchia for having helped me achieved one of the dreams of my life.

Dr. Gustavo Goldaman

Buenos Aires_Argentina