Loun is a 56-year-old grandmother from Cambodia. She has two sons, two daughters, and five grandchildren in her large family.
Loun is a patient with our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC). “Loun developed a cataract in each eye 6 months ago,” CSC explains. “This causes her blurred vision, tearing, and she is afraid of sunshine. She can’t see everything clearly, do work well, or go anywhere outside.”
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 funds cataract surgery that will remove the cloudy lenses from both of her eyes and replace them with artificial lenses. Funding for her surgery includes post-operative care, and after the surgery, she will be able to see clearly again.
Loun enjoys listening to the social news on the radio and watching Khmer dramas. Let’s help her resume the activities she enjoys.