“Hong is married with five children and ten grandchildren,” shares our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC). “She spends her time now as a nun and lives at the pagoda. She meditates for much of the day, especially now that her vision is poor.”
Hong is a 74-year-old Cambodian woman with hypermature cataracts in both of her eyes. Cataracts, which are common in elderly patients, occur when the eye’s lens becomes cloudy. This condition causes decreased vision and can even lead to functional blindness. In Hong’s case, her cataracts are hypermature, meaning that they have either become soft or dry.
CSC tells us, “The cataracts in Hong’s eyes make it very difficult for her to do many of her duties at the pagoda and to go outside for long periods of time by herself.”
With $225 in funding, Hong will undergo the short and low-risk procedure that will restore her eyesight. During the surgery, Hong’s cloudy lenses will be removed and replaced with clear implants. This operation takes only an hour and can often restore vision to 20/20 in only a day.
According to CSC, after her first treatment “Hong will be able to see out of her right eye and can come back for surgery on her left eye in 3-4 weeks.”
This treatment will not only improve Hong’s vision, but will also allow her to reenter her community and return to a more independent way of life.
“After her surgery, Hong wants to get back to cooking for the monks at the pagoda and be able to join in with all of the religious ceremonies,” CSC adds.