The Grade 11 student lives in Matero, a high-density neighbourhood in Lusaka, Zambia. Last year, her school’s health club coordinator suggested that she get her eyes checked at the Matero Vision Centre, a clinic established with Operation Eyesight’s support in 2021. From there, Vanessa was referred to Lusaka’s University Teaching Hospital.  

At the hospital, Vanessa received a diagnosis for cataracts. She also learned that she has diabetes, a metabolic disease that put her at a high risk of developing various eye conditions, including cataracts. Doctors helped her get her blood sugar levels under control and she underwent surgery on both eyes.  

But Vanessa’s struggles weren’t over yet. After the cataract surgery, she went back to school but still had trouble reading the blackboard, and she couldn’t see clearly at night. Her grades continued to slip, and she had trouble concentrating in class. During a follow-up appointment, Vanessa was told she also needed eyeglasses. She received a prescription, but her parents couldn’t afford the cost of the glasses. 

Working with our partners at the OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation, we paired up Vanessa with the eyeglasses she needed. Since 2021, EssilorLuxottica has provided thousands of eyeglasses to patients at the Matero and Maamba Vision Centres in Zambia so that more children like Vanessa can get a pair of glasses quickly and free of charge. 

Now, Vanessa proudly wears her tortoiseshell-framed glasses to school every day. “Now, I can see faraway objects clearly,” she said. “This will help me concentrate in class and achieve my dream of becoming a doctor.” 

With files from Zambia Program Manager Kelly Kaira.

Give the Gift of Sight today and help restore sight and independence for more girls like Vanessa. Vision impairment disproportionately affects women and girls, but they are less likely to be prioritized for eye health care. That’s why our Hospital-Based Community Eye Health projects are aimed at reaching everyone in need of eye care, regardless of gender or family income.

The post Future back in focus for teen after vision restored appeared first on Operation Eyesight.

Since the early stages of diabetes show few symptoms, regular eye exams are a must. To help avoid blindness, be sure to see an eye health professional today!

Let me tell you about a woman who is happy she did just that. Victoria is a 44-year old mother of four who lives in Senya Breku, a coastal town in the Central region of Ghana. Victoria supported her family as a fishmonger until she started losing her sight three years ago. Last year, her vision got worse, and she became unable to work.

“Because of my poor sight, I could not continue to work, so life was very difficult. I could not pay the rent in the house where we lived and we were evicted. Our children were sent away from school because we could not afford the school fees,” she explains. “We visited several prayer camps and witch finders because it was difficult to understand what was happening to us. I thought I would be blind forever.”

Fortunately, Victoria talked to a neighbour who had been blind with cataracts, before visiting nearby Watborg Eye Hospital and regaining sight. She courageously decided to visit the hospital, where doctors discovered the root cause of her blindness was diabetes mellitus, or “sugar disease,” as she calls it.

“I was told I got cataracts because I have sugar disease. The interesting thing is that as a result of my cataract, they discovered my sugar disease,” she says, smiling.

Victoria started treatment for diabetes, and bilateral cataract surgery was performed on first one, then both her eyes. She was able to use government health insurance for her first surgery, and a donation from a generous Operation Eyesight donor paid for the other. She is thankful that she could start up her business again, and her children are back in school!

“Now I can see, and I feel better because I am under treatment for my sugar disease. I feel good and we are happy. Now I can support my family and not depend on people,” she says. “I would like to say thank you for saving my sight and my life. Indeed, sight is life!”

If you have any of these warning signs, the Canadian Diabetes Association recommends you have an eye health professional check your eyes.

• blurred vision
• flashes of light in the field of vision
• sudden loss of vision
• blotches or spots in vision

The post Blindness from ‘sugar disease’: Be aware and be safe! appeared first on Operation Eyesight.