Neang, a 71-year-old Cambodian woman, is married with one son, one daughter, and 12 grandchildren. “She lives and works at the local pagoda,” says our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC). “She spends her time cleaning the pagoda, and preparing food and tea for the monks.”
“Neang developed a cataract in each eye four months ago,” CSC continues. “This causes her blurred vision, irritation, and tearing. She can’t see everything clearly, do work well, or go anywhere outside on her own.” Neang traveled three hours with her niece to reach CSC in the hopes of receiving treatment to fix her vision impairment.
In Cambodia, 90 percent of blindness can be avoided through proper treatment. Cataracts are a leading cause of blindness and can be treated with a minimally invasive surgical procedure called small incision cataract surgery. During this operation, doctors surgically remove the clouded lenses and replace them with implant lenses.
For $225, Neang can receive this surgery to improve her vision and allow her to return to the activities she enjoys. She shares, “I hope I can see everything clearer than now so I can help the monks clean the temple, cook, and read books easier than now.”
