Miriam is a 66-year-old woman from a remote region of Kenya. She lives with her husband in a grass-thatched house, and they sell charcoal to support themselves. Four of her five children have families and live in the same village, and her youngest child is in high school.
In 2011, Miriam injured her eye injury and received eye drops from a local dispensary. However, she noticed a gradual change in her vision as she developed a cataract in one of her eyes.
A cataract occurs when there is a buildup of proteins in the lens of the eye. This causes the lens to become cloudy, disrupting the passage of light through the lens and impairing vision. Most cataracts are due to age-related changes in the eye and account for 50 percent of all cases of blindness worldwide. Early symptoms include blurred vision and tearing.
Miriam says she is not able to walk comfortably as she has problems with her vision. She has not been able to access medical care. In June 2016, at an eye camp organized by Kijabe hospital, doctors recommended cataract surgery for Miriam, but she is not able to raise the amount needed.
For $230, Miriam will undergo small incision cataract surgery to remove the cloudy lens from her eye and replace it with an intraocular lens implant. Funding for her treatment also includes an overnight hospital stay, eye drops, and medicine to reduce pain and prevent infection.
“I want to be able to see clearly again and be able to provide for myself,” shares Miriam.