Channa is a nine-year-old girl in first grade from Cambodia. She traveled four hours to reach Watsi’s medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC), with her mom.
One year ago, Channa developed a traumatic cataract in her right eye. While swimming in a pond with her friend, an injury occurred that has left her partially blind and with a cloudy lens.
Channa can’t see clearly, do well at school, or easily play with her friends. The white lens also makes her shy when she is around her friends.
Traumatic cataracts typically occur following an injury to the eye, and can form several months to a year after the event. Channa will need surgery to cure her condition.
After a lens aspiration surgery and an intraocular lens (IOL) implant in her right eye, Channa will be able to see clearly again. Lens aspiration surgery is a commonly practiced procedure for children and infants, and will safely remove the cloudy cataract. The clear, IOL implant will then be placed on Channa’s eye.
Channa enjoys playing games and walking with her friends in her free time. Her mom hopes that the treatment will work so Channa can go back to school and continue studying Khmer and English.
“I hope she can begin learning English after her successful surgery so she can get a good job in the future,” Channa’s mother shares.