Meet Noy, a 65-year-old woman from Cambodia who has a pterygium in her eye. Our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC), shares, “The pterygium in Noy’s eye prohibits her from doing her job well, and also causes blurry vision. She is constantly dealing with burning sensations in her eye, which is very red and puffy from rubbing it all the time.”
A pterygium is a growth of the conjunctiva that covers the cornea. Although it is non-cancerous, a pterygium can cause discomfort and eventual decrease in vision. Some other common effects of the condition include burning and itching sensations, pain, light sensitivity, and foreign body sensation.
While eye drops can sooth irritation, they are not a permanent solution. With $150 in Watsi funding, Noy will undergo a low-risk 45-minute procedure that will cure her condition. During the operation, the growth is scraped from the surface of the cornea and replaced with a graft, which covers the conjunctiva site and prevents the pterygium from returning. In just one to two weeks after the surgery, Noy will be fully recovered.
According to CSC, “Noy is married with three sons, two daughters and seven grandchildren. She looks forward to going back to work on the farm and regaining her independence.”
