Message from the PAOF Chair

Dear Colleagues:

We have come to the end of a challenging year. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our Pan-American community for its unceasing support. As Mother Teresa said, “To keep a lamp burning, we have to keep putting oil in it.”

Despite this year of adversity, we have seen such generosity in our donors and volunteers who have been so generous with their time and resources. I would like to thank each and every one of you for your dedication to Pan-Americanism. I would especially like to thank our staff in Arlington, Lima (Peru) and St. Louis, for their hard work and their tireless dedication to mission of the Pan-American and Pan-Americanism.

Pan-Americanism is more than a geographical designation; it is a philosophy, a state of being. By helping and supporting each other, in person or virtually, we raise up the entire profession by advancing education, through its many forms, and improving patient care. Pan-Americanism is not just scientific, it is also transnational through cultural exchange. There is strength in diversity and in the mosaic of humanity. Most of us have friends all over the world and, while we have not seen each other face to face, there has been reaffirmation through the ever-expanding avenues of virtual communication and social media outlets. This is Pan-Americanism.

I wish you and your families a very healthy and happy holiday season. May the next year be full of fulfilled dreams. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Best regards,

Jorge E. Valdez MD PhD
President, Pan-American Ophthalmological Foundation (PAOF)