This is 66-year-old Moeun, a father of six and grandfather of 11 from Cambodia. “He enjoys visiting the pagoda to listen to the monks pray and feeding the cows and chickens at home,” our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC), tells us.
Moeun was recently screened by one of CSC’s outreach teams, and they learned that he had developed a cataract in each eye about one year ago. A cataract occurs when the lens inside the eye becomes cloudy from a buildup of proteins. In Moeun’s case, this cloudiness has accumulated over time, and has slowly deteriorated his vision. If left untreated, he could completely lose his ability to see.
Due to this condition, Moeun has experienced blurred vision, tearing, discharge, and pain. “I can’t see everything clearly, do any work well, or go anywhere outside,” Moeun says.
Moeun traveled four hours with his wife to reach CSC for proper treatment. Since he no longer works and does not have a steady income, it is difficult for his family to pay for any medical expenses. $225 in funding will help cover the costs of a lens replacement, where doctors at CSC will remove the cloudy lenses in Moeun’s eyes and replace them with clear implants. The cost of treatment also includes a two-day hospital stay, medication and food. Within one day after his operation, Moeun will be able to see clearly again.
“I hope my eye can see everything clear, so I can easily help my family to do some housework like clean grass and feed animals around home,” shares Moeun.
