Meet Yoy, a 67-year-old woman from Cambodia. Yoy is married with two sons, two daughters, and 12 grandchildren. Our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC), shares, “Yoy spends her free time watching Khmer dramas on TV and taking care of her grandchildren at home. She works as a rice and crop farmer.”
“One year ago, Yoy developed a cataract in her left eye,” CSC tells us. “This causes her blurred vision, tearing, and irritation.”
Yoy describes her condition: “Everything I see is cloudy and I can’t see anything clearly. It is hard to do work very well or go anywhere outside very far.”
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. This condition is especially common in regions near the equator due to high UV exposure.
For $150, we can fund surgery to remove the cataract in Yoy’s left eye. With this operation, doctors will make a small incision to surgically remove the clouded lens and replace it with a new, artificial substitute.
Yoy and her family are eager for her to regain both her sight and independence. Yoy says, “I hope my eye can see everything clearly now so I can work in the farm, cook food, and go far distances.”
