News and updates from Paul and Cathy Middleton, serving in southern Africa.

30 October 2018

Flying For Life - Eye Cataract Surgery - Limpopo

Paul was again privileged to take an eye cataract surgery team up to Thohoyandou in the Limpopo province, to work at a hospital for the day.

We pick these volunteers up in Johannesburg every two months and this was the fourth trip we'd done this year.

Catching the sunrise just after take off out of Mercy Air.
Picking the team up in Jhb.
Beautiful clear views from 11000' on the way up to Thohoyandou.
Getting to work in the hospital.


The day was about as perfect as they come weather wise from take off just before dawn, until the flight back. The clear skies and excellent visibility...
.. gave way to an impressive sunset just before landing back in Johannesburg...
.. and then the still darkness of night on the flight back into Nelspruit.
All in all, a very long day. There is a 400 people waiting list for cataract surgery as it is not hugely prioritised by the department of Health. The little we can do does go a long way towards helping a few people who would otherwise have minimal hope of a better life.

At the end of the day we landed at an airport with runway lights in the next town from Mercy Air. What better idea then to cycle to that airport the following day to retrieve the plane.
It was 50km away and took us two hours to cycle there but only 10 mins to fly back!
Thank you

Paul and Cathy

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