68-year-old Chab enjoys listening to the social news on the radio and hearing the monks pray. Our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC), adds that the mother of seven and grandmother of 15 lives in Cambodia with her family.
“Eight months ago, Chab developed a cataract in each eye,” CSC tells us. “This causes her blurred vision, burning, tearing, and she now has a fear of sunshine. It is hard for her to see clearly, recognize faces of relatives, go outside by herself, and do any work well.”
Cataracts form as proteins develop over the eye lens and cause a cloudy layer to form. While treatable, limited access to healthcare leads many cataract cases to go untreated for long periods of time. Without intervention, the cloudiness increases over time and results in slowly deteriorating vision.
$225 covers the cost of a surgery to remove both of Chab’s cataracts. In each eye, a small incision will be made to remove and replace the old lens with a clear implant. Almost immediately after the operation, Chab’s vision will be restored.
Chab shares, “I hope my eye can see everything clearly now so I can help my daughter cook food, clean the house, and take care of my grandchild. I also would like to be able to easily go to the pagoda or go anywhere else by myself.”
Chab’s daughter adds, “I hope my mother can see everything clearly now so she can do any work and go anywhere by herself.”