Laxmi is a 75-year-old woman who lives in a poor neighbourhood in Nepal. Sadly, Laxmi’s husband passed away a few years ago, and she was left a widow.
As she got older, her vision began to fade, until finally she lost her vision completely.
Laxmi moved into a small cottage with her two daughters, two sons and grandchildren. Together, they own a small tea shop where they make their living to support everyone in their family. Laxmi contributed by taking care of her grandchildren, cooking, cleaning and helping around the house.
With so many mouths to feed, Laxmi’s blindness was not only a terrible loss on its own, it also affected her family. They needed her help to care for the children while they worked, but now they had to juggle caring for the children and Laxmi too.
As time passed, Laxmi’s energy started to fade, and she resigned herself to a life of darkness and dependence. She fell into despair. She lost her ability to contribute to her family, and felt that she was a burden to them. After losing the ability to recognize the people she knew, she felt alienated and grew terribly lonely.
Laxmi’s family never sought out medical help for her because they thought that blindness was a symptom of her age, and there was nothing more to be done about it.
Two years later, there came a knock on the little cottage door. When the family answered it, standing on their doorstep was an Operation Eyesight-trained community health worker who had come to screen the family for their eye health. It wasn’t long before Laxmi was diagnosed with cataract in both eyes, and she was referred for surgery at our partner establishment, the Nepal Eye Hospital.
After her referral, it wasn’t long before Laxmi received the surgery, and she was overjoyed when the bandages were removed from her eyes, and she could SEE again!
“Without the support of the community health worker, nor my family or I were able to understand my exact problem. We thought that my blindness was all due to my age, and was incurable. But thanks to the hospital, and the people who supported me, I have my life back.”
Now Laxmi’s life is better than ever. She has regained her independence and is able to help with the housework and play with her grandchildren again.
Thanks to your kindness and support, Laxmi’s life has changed for the better. And there are many other seniors like Laxmi who still need your help. You can help them by donating to our cataract surgery program today.
As always, thank you for all that you do – For All the World to See!
