Meet 70-year-old Tim from Cambodia. “Tim is married with three sons, one daughter, and six grandchildren,” says our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC). “She enjoys visiting the pagoda to listen to the monks pray, planting crops around her home, and caring for her grandchildren. She traveled three hours with her daughter to reach CSC.”
Tim has glaucoma and a cataract in each eye. Glaucoma is a condition that causes damage to the optic nerve, while cataracts lead to clouding of the eye lens. Glaucoma and cataracts worsen with time, resulting in diminished vision. “She is partially blind, experiences tearing, pain, burning, and is afraid of the sunshine,” explains CSC. “She can not see everything clearly, recognize faces, do work well, or go anywhere outside by herself.”
For $300, Tim will receive trabeculectomy surgery. The surgery “will release the pressure in her eye caused by glaucoma. Her vision will improve and her pain will be relieved,” continues CSC.
Tim’s daughter remains hopeful that her mother’s pain will soon come to an end. She shares,”I hope my mother can see everything clearly again and not be in pain anymore, and she can easily do any work and walk anywhere by herself.”
Tim is eager to heal properly and return to daily life. She says, “I hope my eyes can see everything clearly as normal again. I would like to do any work well and easily go anywhere outside by myself, too.”
