Kazuo County is one of the poorest counties in China, locates in remote mountain area in the west of Liaoning Province. Average GDP in Kazuo County ranks within the last ten counties in China and last one in Liaoning. The majority of local people have eye diseases due to its geographical location and environmental factors plus local eating habit. 

On November 1, 2004, Mr. Larry Lee, president of USCF together with Dr. Gene Grace, Medical Advisor of USCF, US eye specialist, Chairman of US Glaucoma Association drove to Kazuo County through the arrangement of Kazuo Charity Association. It took over four hours by cars from Shenyang, the capital city of Liaoning Province. So they arrived Kazuo near 11:00 PM.
Mr. Gu, the Secretary of CPC in Kazuo County and Mr. Li, Director of Kazuo County met Larry Lee and Dr. Grace the following morning. The officials of Kazuo County introduced the current situation, changes and achievements. Mr. Larry Lee expressed his keen interest in the development of Kazuo County and willingness to do contributions for getting rid of poverty in Kazuo County. The purpose of their visit to Kazuo was that Dr. Grace would do on-site examination for the local eye disease patients to check out the causes of their eye diseases, to make accurate diagnosis and to supply feasible treatment for them. The officials of Kazuo County were very grateful for it.
Larry Lee and Dr. Grace also went to the First Hospital of Kazuo County, which had been finished its construction recently, together with Secretary Gu.
Over hundreds of patients had been waiting for Dr. Grace in the corridor of the clinics on the fourth floor of the hospital. Most of them came from remote villages far away from downtown Kazuo. Arrived the hospital even before dawn, they came there and wished to let their eye diseases examined by Dr. Grace, to have more effective treatment and to get rid of the pain of eye diseases as soon as possible.

The numbers of the patients exceeded the leaders and staff of the hospital expected. President of the hospital and many medical staff were busy for keeping order in the crowded corridor.

During the whole morning, Dr. Grace carefully examined more than 50 patients while Mr. Lee acted as his interpreter that the patients there could completely understand the situation of their eye diseases and have timely treatment.
The charity diagnosis organized by USCF not only deeply moved the patients, but also the medical staff and the officials of Kazuo County.

Ms. Liang Xiuhua, Chairlady of Charity Association of Kazuo County, said that Dr. Grace was just like Dr. Bethune, a Chinese old friend from Canada during the war against Japanese Invasion. She commented that the friendly and humorous Dr. Grace is just like Dr. Bethune so much that which he has a kind heart.
Dr. Grace was also deeply moved by the sincerity and friendliness of local people. He said he would donate a full set of eye clinical equipment to the First Hospital of Kazuo County and head up a team in the hospital, specializing in treating the patients with glaucoma and cataract and screening other eye diseases.

The “US-China Friendship Eye Center” would jointly be set up by USCF and the First Hospital of Kazuo County. Everyone believed that the founding of this hospital would let more patients get rid of pain and blindness, narrowing the difference between this remote county and the modern world.
In the afternoon, Mr. Lee and Dr. Grace also visited an elementary school, 20 kilometers away from Kazuo County. They were warmly welcomed by the teachers and pupils of the school when they got off the car. The headmaster of the school introduced to them that there were seven classrooms in this school, with one room for teachers. There are many cracks on the walls due to the lack of money for repairs. Although the local government allocated an amount for the innovation of this school, but it was extremely inadequately for the repair. Mr. Lee conveyed that USCF would donate an amount of money to repair the classrooms and guarantee the all pupils in this school have a safe and warm environment for their study. Dr. Grace was the first foreign visitor in the history of this school that his arrival deeply moved all teachers and pupils there.

After leaving the school, they visited anther hospital in Ling Yuan County, which was near Kazuo County. Dr. Grace did another charity diagnosis for many patients with serious eye disease there, ignored his fatigue and tiredness.

The two-day visit to Kazuo County produced very positive reaction among local people. The local government highly praised this charity diagnosis and visit. Mr. Larry Lee said that we also realized our wish having been pursued these years through this visit to the west of Liaoning Province -----caring for the weak, building up the bridge of friendship together.

Meihui

November 9,2004