Meet Eng, a 69-year-old mother of five and grandmother of ten. Eng is a married woman from Cambodia who spends her time doing house work and planting crops such as mango, papaya, and vegetables.
“Ten years ago Eng developed a cataract in her left eye,” shares our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC). A cataract is a condition in which the eye’s lens becomes opaque. Cataracts are very common in old age, and are created when proteins clump together and cloud the eye.
“Eng’s cataract has caused blurred vision, a watery eye, pain, and light sensitivity,” CSC continues. “She can't see clearly, do any work, or go anywhere outside. Furthermore, her right eye is blind as well.”
For $150, Eng will receive a cataract removal. During this short procedure, doctors will remove the clouded lens and replace it with a new, artificial one. Funding will cover not only the surgery itself, but all associated costs: Eng’s hospital stay, a caretaker, and post-operative medication.
Once she has recovered from surgery, Eng’s vision will be restored. "I hope my left eye will be able to see everything clearly again,” shares Eng. “I don’t want it to become blind like my right eye.” With our help, Eng will have fully restored vision.