Sponsor eye surgery & eradicate blindness in India

Sunita, a factory worker from Rampura, a small village in Punjab, started suffering from blurred vision in her right eye and found it difficult to work. Her vision deteriorated drastically during the year it took to gather enough funds to get her eyes tested. Diagnosed with cataract, she was recommended for surgery. Sunita started saving money but before she could undergo surgery, her daughter fell ill. The saved funds were instead used for her daughter’s treatment; unfortunately, her daughter passed away. Along with not being able to work due to her blurred vision, and the tragic loss of her daughter, Sunita plunged into deep grief.

Just when all hope seemed lost, a neighbor informed Sunita of a free eye camp by SEF. At the camp, Sankara doctors recommended cataract surgery, and Sunita was later transported to the Sankara Eye Hospital. Surgery improved Sunita’s vision tremendously and her happiness by leaps and bounds. Sunita thanked the doctors and staff for restoring her vision and normalcy to her life without charging a penny.

              Kasturi is cheerful and energetic girl living with her parents in Chengiskhan peta, a small village in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh. Her life today is a very much different from her past journey with pain and awkwardness.

              She was suffering from watering eyes and pain in the right eye since birth. Her parents ignored the problem for quite a sometime and gradually it got worsened as she grew older.

              In school, she faced lot of humiliation and every time felt isolated due to her eye problems. Nobody wanted to play with her or talk to her. The emotional uproar spilled over to her studies and her performance slowly deteriorated which was evident in the falling grades at school. She was losing her
energy and confidence day by day. Her frequent absence from the class and poor grades became a matter of concern for her parents and teachers.

               It was painful for parents to watch their child to grow old with such distress. Following a friend’s advice, Kasturi’s parents took her to nearby primary health center where the medical officer asked them to see an eye specialist for further treatment. Kasturi’s father is daily wage laborer and mother is a housewife.They could not afford their child’s treatment in a private hospital.

               The parent’s wish to have their daughter get the proper treatment was like a silent prayer in the face of a raging storm of adversity. With no money or any evident help, the parents resigned themselves to fate and slowly waited for the inevitable to happen.

               Nevertheless, the silent prayer had its own miracles as one day the Rainbow School Screening Program team of Sankara Eye Hospital, Guntur came to Kasturi’s school. They examined Kasturi’s eye and she was diagnosed with Dacryo cysto rhinostomy which required immediate surgery. Sankara team assured the disappointed parents that there is still a strong trace of hope which will allow their daughter to have normal vision again. With such words of encouragement, the child was referred to Sankara Eye Hospital,Guntur along with the parents for surgery at no cost.

               The next day Kasturi was operated by a senior consultant and her surgery was successful. As her bandages were removed, the parents waited with bated breath to see their daughter’s reaction. A positive cry after from Kasturi affirmed that she is able see without pain. Her eye complaints were completely resolved after surgery. She was no more having pain or unpleasant discharge in her eyes. Her parents were quite happy and satisfied with the treatment done. Tears of relief and joy rolled out from the eyes of the poor parents who had almost given up hope. They expressed their heartfelt gratitude to team Sankara who gave their child a pain free vision and a lot more confidence.

               Kasturi is healthy little girl now, doing very well in the studies. Furthermore she is more energetic than ever and aspire to become a doctor.