This Volunteers’ Week 2025, we’re shining a light on the incredible medical professionals who gives their time and skills to restore sight around the world.
This Volunteers’ Week 2025, we’re shining a light on the incredible medical professionals who gives their time and skills to restore sight around the world.
Michelle is an anaesthetist at the Medical Specialist Group in Guernsey, in the Channel Islands, and a volunteer with Orbis. Michelle has volunteered on 7 Orbis projects, sharing her expert medical knowledge with local eye care teams around the world.
Recently, Michelle joined our Flying Eye Hospital programme in Mongolia. Here she helped adults and children receive life-changing surgery and trained Mongolian teams to carry on the work long after the plane departs.
The Flying Eye Hospital isn’t just about surgery; it’s about lasting change. Orbis trains eye care teams in their own hospitals, using the tools and challenges they face every day. By building practical skills and boosting confidence, we help local doctors and nurses become leaders, strengthening eye care systems from the inside out.
This hands-on training leaves a ripple effect: better diagnosis, stronger care, and more lives changed for years to come.
Here’s what Michelle had to say about her experience volunteering with Orbis.
“One of the most rewarding things is teaching a trainee their very first local anaesthetic eye block. That moment when they realise, they’ve helped someone have safe, pain-free surgery without a general anaesthetic, it’s huge. It’s a moment that repeats itself in every country I visit.”
Sometimes, the most meaningful moments aren’t the ones in the operating theatre.
“On my last day in Mongolia, I sat with the recovery team and our final patient, an older woman from the countryside. We shared some chocolates I’d brought from home and heard about her life. Her smile was infectious. We all ended the day with high spirits.”
It’s these small human connections that leave a lasting mark.
“Volunteering has changed how I work at home. In lower-income countries, we don’t always have access to the tests or systems we rely on at home. It’s made me focus more on the basic clinical skills and diagnostic ability”
“If you are thinking about volunteering, don't hesitate! It's one of the most rewarding elements of my career. The first time may be quite daunting, but the Orbis team are incredibly supportive and experienced. Follow their lead, be flexible and enjoy the experience”
To all our volunteers, thank you. You give more than time. You give knowledge, compassion, and hope.
If you’ve been inspired by this story, there are so many ways to help.
Together, we can bring the gift of sight to more people around the world.
