“I feel so blessed. I am so grateful and happy for what I have received. Dr. Greninger was the angel that came to me and changed my life.”

Rosa, a Santa Rosa resident for the past 20 years, was searching for treatment for esotropia, a misalignment where her right eye rotated inward toward her nose. Her condition caused intermittent pain and affected her emotionally because of her physical appearance. Rosa felt stigmatized when she interacted with others, leading to feelings of shame and isolation. She had been unable to access adequate health care in Mexico.

Rosa became discouraged. She had no health insurance because of her immigration status and could not afford the cost of care. As time passed, she gave up on her goal of being able to afford the surgery, especially after a difficult breakup, which left her as the sole provider for her daughter.

By March 2021, Rosa's symptoms had worsened. The pain in her right eye had increased and was more constant, and she began experiencing excessive dryness and blurry vision. Her eyes were examined by Anthony Soria, an optometrist at Santa Rosa Community Health's Vista Campus.

Dr. Soria confirmed the diagnosis and referred her to our program. Rosa was overjoyed when she learned that a local surgeon might donate the care she needed. We matched her with medical volunteer Dr. Daniel Greninger, an ophthalmologist at Kaiser Permanente Antioch Medical Center. Dr. Greninger performed strabismus surgery to treat her crossed eye during a Saturday surgery session hosted at the facility.

After decades of searching unsuccessfully, Rosa finally got the needed treatment. She has fully recovered from surgery and is grateful for the care she received from Dr. Greninger and his team. Rosa has a new sense of confidence; she no longer feels embarrassed looking people in the eyes and having photographs taken with loved ones. The feelings of shame and isolation are gone.

About her experience, she said, "I feel so blessed. I am so grateful and happy for what I have received. Dr. Greninger was the angel that came to me and changed my life."

Story and photo shared with patient’s permission.