Meet Phoeun, a 69-year-old woman from Cambodia. “Phoeun is married without children. She spends her time visiting the pagoda to listen to the monks pray and join in ceremonies,” describes our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC).
“Phoeun developed a cataract in each eye 1 year ago. This causes her blurred vision, tearing, irritation, and she is afraid of sunshine. She can’t see everything clearly, do work well, or go anywhere outside,” explains CSC.
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.
After surgery, Phoeun looks forward to helping her niece cook and clean in their home.
