Physical Health India Project #1035

Give the Gift of Sight to the poor in India

by Aravind Eye Foundation

Give the Gift of Sight to the poor in India

Project Report | Jun 5, 2020
To See All As One

By Donna Campbell | Executive Director

Dear Friend,

I sincerely hope that you and your family are well in this unprecedented time of global anxiety, sadness, and no doubt anger at the injustices faced by so many.

Still, dark times can offer opportunities to do good things -- things that perhaps we thought were impossible before. When Covid-19 emerged in India and forced us to close our hospitals except for emergency operations, all our employees rose to the occasion. Every one of us should be proud of the doctors, nurses, administration, maintenance, drivers, security, catering and housekeeping, who performed their duties with dedication and sincerity, true to the longstanding values and tradition of Aravind. The catering staff and our sanitary staff need a special mention of appreciation, since their work has increased manifold in recent times.

We continue to see our eye cancer patients, of course, and have arranged for them and their families to stay at Aravind and avoid travelling back and forth on public transportation and risk exposure to the virus, especially since they are in an extremely high risk category. Your generosity makes this all possible!

I want to leave you with the words of our founder, Dr. Venkataswamy, and I hope that they give you some comfort. “Attachment to your village, your hospital, your state or country – that must go. You must live in your soul and face the universal consciousness. To see all as one.”

At this crucial time, let us put aside our differences and pray to help every person in the world. Let us see all as one.

Stay safe and be well. And, know that we are extremely grateful for your support, more now than ever. Please email me or call me (917 412 4742) if you have ideas on how we can do a better job, especially at this time, or if you would like to learn more about our work.

With gratitude, Donna

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Feb 13, 2020
Thank you for being part of our Ring of Hope!

By Donna Campbell | Executive Director

Nov 19, 2019
We are all smiles now! Thank you for supporting Al Ameen's treatment!

By Donna Campbell | Executive Director

Al Ameen, 9 months old

There is probably nothing more endearing than the toothless smile of a happy baby, and Al Ameen is no exception! This beautiful baby boy was referred to the Aravind Eye Hospital, Madurai, with cancer in both eyes. Al Ameen has the genetic form of retinoblastoma, and both of his parents are also blind.

Al Ameen lives with his mother, Haseena, and the two of them are cared for by maternal grandparents. Because of some issues with the family, his father does not live with them, nor does he support them financially. The cost of Al Ameen's on-going cancer treatment is also paid by his grandparents.

Many families start treatment and then become overwhelmed by the expense and the prolonged length of treatment. They simply stop coming, as a result. Retinblastoma is very curable, but patients must complete their chemo and radiation sessions and come in for follow-up visits. Al Ameen's family lives in the neighboring state of Kerala, so they had the additional cost of travelling to visit Aravind in Tamil Nadu.

Your donations paid for Al Ameen's family to travel to Madurai and to complete his treatment and follow-up. Unlike his parents, Al Ameen has a very good chance of retaining his vision.

There are so many children like Al Ameen, whom you help through Global Giving. And, that's why we are all smiling at the Aravind Eye Foundation today. Thank you for helping to save the lives and sight of now more than 650 children in India and to fund thousands of patient follow-up visits to keep our patients cancer-free.

In gratitude,

Donna Campbell, Executive Director

P.S. Please tell your friends and family about the great work YOU are doing. Tweet about us @AravindEye or follow us on Facebook @AravindEyeFoundation. And, I would love to hear from you, so email me: donnacampbell@aravind.org -- I will respond!

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