Meet Hou, a 62-year-old woman who plants rice and other crops in Cambodia. She has one son, six daughters, and seven grandchildren. She enjoys listening to social news on the radio and visiting the pagoda to listen to the monks pray.
"One year ago Hou developed a cataract in her left eye," our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), tells us. A cataract occurs when the lens inside the eye becomes cloudy from a buildup of proteins. This cloudiness has accumulated over time and has slowly deteriorated Hou's vision. If left untreated, she could completely lose her ability to see.
Due to her condition, Hou experiences blurred vision and tearing in her eye. Her daily farm work and household activities have become much more difficult. "It is hard to see clearly and recognize people's faces," Hou explains to us. "I can't do any work very well or go anywhere on my own."
After hearing that her neighbor received treatment at CSC, Hou traveled three hours with her husband to the clinic for proper medical care. For $150, doctors at CSC will perform cataract surgery to remove the cloudy lens in Hou's left eye and replace it with a new, artificial lens. Within one day of her procedure, Hou will be able to see clearly again.
"I hope after treatment my eye can see everything clear again so I can help my family take care of the grandchildren at home," Hou shares. "I want to be able to see letters clearly and easily go anywhere outside by myself."