Meet Leang, a 64-year-old woman from Cambodia.
“Leang is married with one son, three daughters, and three grandchildren. In her spare time she does housework,” shares our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre. Leang earns her income working as a fisherwoman for her village.
Leang has a mature cataract in her left eye. This condition occurs when a semi-opaque layer develops over the eye lens. As this typically occurs later in life, cataracts are the most common cause of blindness among older patients.
Due to her condition, Leang is “unable to go to the pagoda, watch TV, and cook and care for her family. She can’t see everything clearly,” CSC says. They add that Leang worries that she will become permanently blind and unable to leave her house without assistance.
With $150, Leang will receive a simple, 45-minute procedure to remove the cataract. The old, affected lens on Leang’s left eye will be removed and replaced with a clear implant. After surgery, her vision will be fully restored.
Leang tells CSC her hope is to see everything clearly again, do her work as fisherwoman very well, more easily visit the pagoda, and go outside by herself.