Through his service to the destitute in the Philippines, John Kramer ’81 is following the Wittenberg tradition of passing light onto others.

Kramer, a dentist who practices with his father in Martins Ferry, Ohio, made trips to the Philippines in 1998 and 2000 volunteering his time with the Ohio Valley Filipino Medical Association. Some 20 physicians make the trek every two years.

So far, Kramer has been the only dentist to join the group. “In the five days in 1998 that I was there, I saw about 350 patients and removed about 750 teeth,” Kramer said. “There’s just no dental care. They don’t have toothbrushes. You do what you can.”

Kramer, a member of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity and a track and cross country athlete at Wittenberg, found the experience frustrating but rewarding. He paid for his own flight and accommodations. He even took his own supplies.

“There was just no way I could pack up my filling material,” Kramer said. “I can’t take my handpieces. We have to carry everything there.”

Some people walked for a day to get to the temporary clinic. “You have all these people who are in pain. Some have severe infection and gross decay everywhere,” added Kramer, who earned his doctorate of dentistry from Ohio State University. “Do you treat a few people to try to remove all of their pain, or do you treat more people to address their immediate problem?”

Despite his frustration, Kramer, the recipient of the 2000 Ohio Dental Association Humanitarian Award, realized that he and his colleagues cannot cure everyone but they can comfort those in need.

He won’t forget the Filipino woman who was so grateful that she thanked him with a live chicken. “That chicken would have fed her family,” said Kramer, who expects to fly back in January 2003. “When we open our hearts to give to others, we get so much in return.”

— Heather Maurer