It’s the time of year when many of us reflect on the last year and look ahead as we enter the season of hope and aspirations.
Yet for some people in our communities of work, it’s difficult to be optimistic about what’s to come. Samad is a 10-year-old boy who lives in a small village in Northern India. He has had vision loss in his right eye his entire life. Unfortunately, Samad’s parents both have physical disabilities, cannot work and can barely scrounge enough to feed their family, let alone find the funds to correct Samad’s partial vision loss.
Seeing through one eye only was all Samad had ever known, and it seemed this would be his future as well. He struggled to see the world clearly and wondered if an education and the ability to provide for himself and a family of his own one day would ever be attainable.
But thanks to our global community of donors, Samad can now imagine a promising future.
A community health worker trained by Operation Eyesight was conducting door-to-door screenings in the area and discovered that Samad had a cataract in his right eye. She urged his parents to take him to a nearby vision centre, but they weren’t convinced anything could ever change. This was the only reality they had ever known for their son, and they couldn’t afford treatment nor the expenses associated with getting him to the vision centre. So they didn’t go.
The tenacious community health worker followed up, informing his parents that a simple checkup could determine the prognosis of Samad’s condition and that our sustainable and inclusive model empowers those who can afford to pay for their treatments to do so, allowing us to subsidize the cost for those who cannot.
Finally convinced, Samad’s parents took him to visit the Nehtaur Vision Centre at the C.L. Gupta Eye Institute, where he learned that he had a mature cataract in his right eye and required surgery as soon as possible to restore his vision. That November, Samad received his surgery and was finally able to see with both eyes for the first time in his life.
Thanks to generous donors like you, Samad has received a transformational gift. He can now see the world through two eyes – just like other children – and picture a bright future ahead.
Right now, there are many children like Samad who are still waiting to receive the Gift of Sight.
Together, we can make a profound difference in the lives of many.
Please give the Gift of Sight this holiday season – For All The World To See!
