24-year-old Pao is a first-year university student from Cambodia who enjoys reading books and playing volleyball.
“Since birth, Pao has had strabismus in each eye, causing him to be shy about his appearance,” our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC), tells us. “Pao feels shy around his friends and does not feel confident about finding a job.”
Strabismus, more commonly known as “crossed eyes,” is a condition in which the eyes are misaligned. The condition occurs when the six muscles controlling movements of the eyes do not work together. As a result, the eyes do not look at the same object at the same time, and the brain receives two different images to interpret.
With $290 in funding, Pao can undergo surgery in which an ophthalmologist detaches and repositions the eye muscles to realign his eyes. Funding also pays for a three-day hospital stay, antibiotic therapy, pain medicine, and eye drops.
After treatment, Pao looks forward to being able to study more effectively at school and to finding a job to support himself and his family.