Submitted by: Toni Romero, Agriculture/Outreach Director
Dr. David Guhl, OD is an optometrist who practices in Colorado Springs. He has been coming to Valley-Wide annually to hold an eye clinic for the past 25 years. Dr. Guhl says that he found out about Valley-Wide when he read something about a coat drive for agricultural workers, and the person he contacted happened to be Mitch Garcia, a former farmworker director. He felt this was a good way for him to give back – by giving the gift of improved vision.
I have had the pleasure of working with Dr. Guhl for 22 years, and one of the most memorable patients at his eye clinics was a little girl who walked out of the room where people were fitted with glasses. She had these big 1970’s-style, square frame, red glasses that were way too big for her tiny face but she was beaming! She went up to everyone and said “yo puedo mirar! yo puedo mirar!” (I can see, I can see!) Dr. Guhl told me he was going to have a new pair of child’s glasses made for her and would be sending them to me so I could make sure she received them.
That happy little girl was just one of many patients Dr. Guhl has helped in his years coming to the Cesar Chavez clinic. This year Dr. Guhl not only came to CCFMC but also agreed to go to La Junta to do an eye clinic there. On Friday, October 25 he saw 63 patients and on Saturday, October 26 he saw 70! What a blessing he is to our communities!
I want to thank Dr. Guhl and all the employees who help make this event a success in the SLV and the AV; we could not do this without the dedication of the staff and the support of leadership.
