Meet Sim, a 70-year-old man from Cambodia. “Sim is married with one son, two daughters, and four grandchildren. He spends his free time visiting the pagoda to listen to the monks pray,” shares our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC).
“Seven years ago Sim developed a cataract in each eye. This causes him blurred vision, tearing, and irritation,” reports CSC. Cataracts occur as proteins develop in the lens of the eye, causing cloudiness. Without treatment, the cloudiness increases over time and results in slowly deteriorating vision. They can ultimately result in total blindness.
“It is hard to see everything clearly and I cannot do any work very well,” explains Sim. “I can’t go outside by myself.”
For $225, Sim will undergo a surgery to replace the lenses on both of his eyes. In each eye, doctors will make a small incision to surgically remove the clouded lens and replace it with a new, artificial lens.
“I hope after treatment my eyes can see everything clearly again. I can help my family do some work on the farm. I hope I can visit the pagoda or anywhere by myself,” shares Sim.