Meet Phalla, a 45-year-old man from Cambodia with two sons, two daughters, and two grandchildren. Phalla is a patient with our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC), and one year ago, he developed a cataract in each eye.
The cataracts have caused Phalla blurred vision and tearing. He is also “afraid to go out in the bright sunshine; it is hard for him to see clearly, recognize faces, do work well, or go outside on his own,” explains CSC.
Cataracts occur when the lens inside the eye becomes cloudy, which causes decreased vision and functional blindness. In Cambodia, 90% of blindness could be avoided through proper treatment. As with many countries in the developing world, surgical services are inadequate and cataracts remain the leading cause of blindness globally. Even where surgical services are available, barriers to surgery remain, such as cost, shortage of human resources, poor infrastructure, and limited awareness about access to available services.
$225 will fund cataract surgery to remove the cloudy lenses from both of Phalla’s eyes and replace them with artificial lenses. This funding also covers post-operative care. After the surgery, he will be able to see clearly again.
Phalla enjoys watching social news on TV, drinking coffee, and talking with his friends at a coffee shop. Surgery will help Phalla resume his favorite activities.