Hoeun, a 29-year-old woman from Cambodia, was born with esotropia, a “congenital condition that has causes her right eye to turn inward,” shares our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC). People with esotropia often have a cross-eyed appearance, and are unable to see straight. Hoeun's condition makes it difficult for her to work, and causes her to be shy when going outside. "Hoeun is married with two daughters," CSC shares. "She works tailoring clothes. In her free time she listens to social news and helps teach her daughter." She heard about CSC after her brother received treatment, and traveled 90 minutes to seek her own treatment. $290 covers the cost of a procedure to properly align Hoeun’s eye. This procedure consists of identifying and moving muscles on the eye in order to straighten it. The conjunctiva, the clear covering of the white part of the eye, is opened to reveal the muscle, and then closed. This is usually done under general anesthesia. “I hope my eye is straight and beautiful like other women, and that I won’t be shy anymore," Hoeun shares.

"It is hard for me to see anything clearly or go outside,” says 71-year-old Yun, a grandmother from Cambodia. Our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC), explains that four years ago, Yun developed a cataract in each eye. Due to this, it is difficult for her to do housework and help her daughter sell food. A cataract is a thickened, cloudy lens. Over time, the altered lens loses its ability to focus light properly, resulting in blurry or dull vision and increasing difficulty with seeing faraway objects. While cataracts account for 50-percent of all cases of blindness worldwide, the effects of the condition are often more pronounced in developing countries, like Cambodia. For $225, Yun will have surgery to remove the cloudy lenses from both of her eyes and replace them with artificial substitutes. Funding for Yun’s treatment also includes post-operative follow-up care. After a brief recovery period, CSC explains that this widely practiced procedure will fully restore Yun’s vision. The mother of four and grandmother of seven is eager to regain her independence and spend more time with family. She shares, "I hope my eyes can see everything clearly so I can help my family [with] cooking food and taking care of my grandchildren."