ORBIS Flying Eye Hospital Comes to Texas
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 1, 2002--ORBIS International, a non-profit,
global organization dedicated to saving sight worldwide, will bring the
world's only flying eye hospital to Fort Worth, Texas, for a rare U.S. visit.
Aircraft Interiors magazine (A/I) has graciously invited ORBIS to participate
in their annual trade show at the Fort Worth Convention Center. A/I is not
only supplying ORBIS with a complimentary booth at the show, but is also
arranging for trade show attendees to visit the ORBIS DC-10 wide-body
aircraft.
The aircraft will be available for static display and guided tours of its
interior on Tuesday, May 21 at Fort Worth's Alliance International Airport.
ORBIS's goal is to bring the gift of sight to the millions of people around
the world whose blindness is curable. "The Aircraft Interiors Conference &
Exhibition marks ORBIS's first time having a booth at a trade show. We are so
grateful to Aircraft Interiors for their support, and for giving us an
important venue to introduce our work and to forge new relationships for
outfitting our DC-10 aircraft," said Kathy Spahn, ORBIS International
president and executive director.
ORBIS took flight in 1982 with a DC-8. In 1994, the DC-8 was retired and the
DC-10 began traveling the world offering comprehensive eye care training to
the developing world.
The DC-10 conversion began in 1991 in Houston when a Styrofoam interior
mock-up of the plane was created to ensure maximum design efficiency. The
aircraft was then transferred to Mobile Aerospace Engineering in Alabama
where it was converted into a state-of-the-art hospital. The plane interior
includes an operating room, a laser treatment room, a 48-seat classroom and a
high-quality audio-visual center.
Since 1982, ORBIS has carried out more than 500 plane- and hospital-based
programs in 81 countries. ORBIS has trained over 54,000 ophthalmologists,
nurses, biomedical engineers and other healthcare workers who, in turn,
provide treatment and training in their countries. Worldwide, ORBIS volunteer
doctors have directly treated more than 23,000 patients, and more than 15
million people have received eye care from ORBIS-trained doctors.
For the remainder of the year, the ORBIS DC-10 will be involved in programs
in China, Bangladesh and India.
For more information about the Aircraft Interiors Conference & Exhibition
2002 and the ORBIS DC-10 Static Display, please visit
www.aircraft-interiors.net or contact Aircraft Interiors Magazine at Tel:
760/804-1420; Fax: 760/804-1390.
CONTACT:
ORBIS International, New York
Darcie Goodwin, 646/674-5532
Fax: 646/674-5597
www.orbis.org
SOURCE: ORBIS International
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05/01/2002 10:05 EASTERN