Ly is a 76-year-old married man from Cambodia who has one son, three daughters, and eight grandchildren. He enjoys visiting the pagoda to listen to the monks pray. Ly traveled three hours with his wife to reach Children’s Surgical Centre for treatment of cataracts.
A cataract occurs when there is a buildup of proteins in the lens of the eye. This causes the lens to become cloudy, disrupting the passage of light through the lens and impairing vision. Most cataracts are due to age-related changes in the eye, and they are the most common cause of blindness in Cambodia. Formation typically occurs in both eyes.
Ly developed a cataract in each eye 10 years ago. As a result, he experiences burning and blurred vision. He cannot see anything clearly, do work well, or go anywhere outside on his own.
For $292, Ly will undergo extracapsular cataract extraction surgery to remove the cloudy lenses from his eyes and replace them with intraocular lens implants. Funding for his treatment also includes two days of hospital care, eye drops and ointments, medicine to reduce pain and prevent infection, and one post-operative consultation. After surgery on each eye, Ly will be able to see clearly again.
