Tomasa is a 36 year old woman from Guatemala. She lives with her seven children in an adobe house with a wood roof. Her husband works on a coffee plantation a couple hours away, so he is often not around. To help with expenses, Tomasa weaves sashes, traditional mayan blouses, and napkins. Weaving is her favorite pastime. Tomasa and her family live on only a couple dollars per day and cannot afford the treatment she needs.
Tomasa has had a non-cancerous growth on the outside of her eye for the last couple years, and it continues to get worse. She is now almost unable to see out of that eye, which has made it difficult for her to do simple things around the house, and to weave. If she does not receive surgery, the growth could continue to get bigger and block her vision entirely in that eye, and worsen the burning and itching that she is currently experiencing.
Tomasa will receive surgery to remove the growth on her eye, transportation to the hospital, and interpretation between her native Kaqchikel and Spanish. Her vision will be restored, and she will no longer have bothersome itching and redness in her eye, and will have improved vision for years to come.
Tomasa said, “I was sad about what was growing in my eye, but now that I know that I can get surgery, I am going to take advantage of this opportunity since I would never be able to pay on my own. I appreciate all of you for the help, so that I can continue weaving without discomfort.”
