By Donna Campbell | Executive Director
If you are long-time GlobalGiving member, you may remember Diwaka and his little sister Rithika. I wrote a report about them in January 2013. Both of them had retinoblastoma -- eye cancer. Diwakar had to have surgery when he was two years old, because his cancer was too advanced to save his eye. But because their parents brought Rithika to the hospital just after she was born, Aravind was able to save her vision, her eyes, and her life.
Today, both children are thriving, and their success story was reported in The Hindu newspaper, as part of Retinoblastoma Awareness month.
There is also a story about 16-years-old Jayanthi, who will sit her high school exams next year. She was one of the very first patients to receive treatment completely free of charge through Aravind's Ring of Hope program. Her grandmother made sure she never missed one of her check-ups at Aravind Eye Hospital.
Treating retinoblastoma successfully, like any cancer, takes several years of follow-up treatment and screening. Your generosity has supported more than 6500 hospital visits for kids like Diwakar, Rithika, and Jayanthi, and ensured that they grow up cancer-free and full of hope.
I hope you will enjoy the full article in The Hindu, linked below. Send it to your friends and family and tell them how you are helping to end eye cancer for kids in India. Retinoblastoma is 90% curable in the US; 90% fatal in India -- together, we will change those odds.
As always, I would love to hear from you -- what are we doing well, what can we do better, and any and all questions you have. Email me at donnacampbell@aravind.org; follow us on facebook at AravindEyeFoundation; tweet us at @AravindEye. And, just help us spread the word and expand the Ring of Hope for all kids with eye cancer.
In gratitude, Donna Campbell
Executive Director
"Intelligence and capability are not enough. There must be the joy of doing something beautiful."
From the Journals of Dr. G. Venkataswamy, founder of Aravind Eye Care System
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