Raj and his wife, Ramya, acted quickly and took Priyansh to a local doctor who diagnosed him with a tumor. After more consultations, the family was advised to get treatment at the Operation Eyesight Universal Institute for Eye Cancer at the L V Prasad Eye Institute in Hyderabad, India.

The Operation Eyesight Universal Institute for Eye Cancer was made possible by the generous gift of an anonymous Canadian family, and through our longtime collaboration with the renowned eye hospital. Since 2015, the Institute has provided comprehensive treatment for the entire range of ophthalmic tumors in both adults and children. It is one of just a handful of centres in the world that specializes in this type of treatment.

Once he arrived at the Institute, Pryiansh was examined by an ophthalmologist who diagnosed him with fourth-grade retinoblastoma, a severe form of eye cancer that largely affects very young children.

With the level of danger the cancer presented, the doctor recommended that the affected eye be surgically removed. Although heartbroken by the diagnosis, the family knew surgery was their only hope to save their son. The operation was a success, and Priyansh’s outlook improved, but the journey was far from over. Following the surgery, Priyansh underwent grueling chemotherapy sessions to make sure there were no remaining cancer cells. The little boy was left weakened and frail, but kept his spirits up during treatment.

Due to the demands of Priyansh’s treatment, Raj, who works as a taxi driver, had to take time off work. In order to help free the family from the financial burden caused by Priyansh’s diagnosis, the L V Prasad Eye Institute was able to offer the treatment completely free of charge, allowing the family to focus on recovery.

Today, Priyansh is stable, and his parents are extremely grateful for the care he received.

To date, the Operation Eyesight Universal Institute for Eye Cancer has identified and treated 18,515 patients for eye cancer.

With special thanks to the L V Prasad Eye Institute, who originally reported this story.

The post Early detection gives little boy a second chance at life appeared first on Operation Eyesight.

In 2015, we opened the Operation Eyesight Universal Institute for Eye Cancer at the L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) in Hyderabad, India. The Institute provides comprehensive treatment for the entire range of ophthalmic tumors in both children and adults, and patients who cannot afford to pay are offered treatment free of cost. The Institute also offers critically required services to India and other low- and middle-income countries through research, capacity-building and education programs. It has trained several ophthalmologists and optometrists as part of its fellowship program, and has published several research papers in reputable, peer-reviewed journals. The Institute is playing a critical role in increasing awareness about eye cancer, leading to early diagnosis and treatment. 

Anvitha is a 21-month-old toddler from Kerala, India. She has been receiving chemotherapy treatment for retinoblastoma at the Institute. She was due for her next chemotherapy treatment when the COVID-19 pandemic caused a nationwide lockdown. Her parents, Vineeth and Gopika, were worried that they would be unable to safely travel to Hyderabad to take Anvitha for her treatment. Vineeth took to social media to talk about their plight and requested support.  

Fortunately, the local health ministry was able to help arrange their travel and provide necessary permissions. Anvitha safely reached Hyderabad in time to receive her treatment.  

According to Dr. Swathi Kaliki, the Head of Eye Cancer Services at LVPEI, 90 percent of retinoblastoma cases can be cured if they are diagnosed and treated in time. In Anvitha’s case, Dr. Kaliki says that there are good chances that both her eyes and sight will be saved as well.  

Thanks to the generosity of our donors, thousands of families across India have hope that their children can beat eye cancer. Please consider donating today to support our work around the world to ensure that everyone has access to the eye health care they need.  

The post It’s World Retinoblastoma Week! appeared first on Operation Eyesight.

Aboobacker is a caring father of two from Kerala, a state at the southernmost tip of India. He was diagnosed with cancer in both eyes when he was 18 months old. One day, he was playing outside with the neighbors when a child threw a rock at him. The rock bounced off of Aboobacker’s forehead but, horrified, his mother rushed to his side to examine him. Looking into his eyes, she noticed a small speck, which she assumed had been caused by the stone.

As it turns out, that speck was the first noticeable sign of retinoblastoma, a life-threatening eye cancer. It was too late for doctors to save Aboobacker’s left eye, which had to be removed, but they were able to save partial sight in his right eye. Thanks to this, he’s able to do basic office work to support his family today.

When Aboobacker married and had children, his personal tragedy deepened. His first child, a boy, was born with the same bilateral retinoblastoma. Like his father, the baby was diagnosed too late to save both eyes, and his right eye had to be removed when he was just four months old. He, too, retained partial vision in his other eye, and he’s now able to attend school.

When their daughter Siya was born two years ago, Aboobacker and his wife were prepared for the worst. Almost half of retinoblastoma cases are thought to result from an inherited genetic mutation, and the effects can begin to take place even before the child is born. When Siya was just eight days old, they brought her to a local eye doctor for examination. They despaired when their baby girl was diagnosed with the same condition as her brother and father.

Fortunately, their doctor was able to recommend a facility in Hyderabad that was known for having the best treatment available. That facility was the Operation Eyesight Universal Institute for Eye Cancer, located within the renowned LV Prasad Eye Institute. They immediately brought Siya there for chemotherapy.

Good news! Because her condition was discovered so early, the ocular ophthalmologists were able to save both of Siya’s eyes. She retains perfect vision in one eye and partial vision in the other, and she can look forward to an entirely normal life. Aboobacker will continue to make the 36-hour train journey to the Institute to bring Siya for checkups every three months. He and his family are grateful that so far all is well!

Sadly, there are many more children like Siya who require treatment. Every day, four children in India are born with eye cancer. Visit our blog next week to learn more about the new Operation Eyesight Universal Institute for Eye Cancer, what we’re doing to combat retinoblastoma, and how you can help. And be sure to mark your calendar for World Cancer Day, February 4, 2016.

The post Eye cancer doesn’t have to result in blindness in India anymore! appeared first on Operation Eyesight.

Our India projects are growing by leaps and bounds, and serving many levels of eye health across the country, from community programs to secondary and tertiary hospitals. However, one area of eye health where we saw a need is that of eye cancer, or ocular oncology.

I am very excited to announce that last week, we officially opened the doors to the Operation Eyesight Universal Institute for Eye Cancer in India!

This centre, which has been established at the L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) in the city of Hyderabad, will deal exclusively with tumors within and around the eye. It will provide comprehensive treatment for the entire range of ophthalmic tumors in both adults and children. It will emerge as a centre of excellence, offering critically required services to India and other developing countries through research, capacity-building and education programs.

There are only a few centres around the world that specialize in this type of integrated treatment and serve as a global resource centre, and we are proud to now operate one of them!

The Institute has been made possible thanks to a generous gift from members of an anonymous Canadian family that has supported our work for many years. The family recognizes the critical need for affordable care for eye cancer patients, especially in India where there is a high burden of eye cancer.

Like all of us at Operation Eyesight, the  family believes in providing ‘the best for the poorest.’ Patients will now be able to receive the specialized treatment they need, and those who cannot afford to pay will be offered treatment free of cost. We expect to treat 500 patients in our first year of operation.

On behalf of all of us at Operation Eyesight, I would like to extend our warmest thanks to our donor family and to Dr. Gullapalli (Nag) Rao and his team at LVPEI. With your support, Operation Eyesight has taken a giant step toward becoming a leader in the field of ocular oncology.

Together, we will continue to save eyes, vision and lives… for all the world to see!

P.S. Thursday, October 8 is World Sight Day! Please join us in celebrating ‘Eye Care For All!’

The post Announcing: The Operation Eyesight Universal Institute for Eye Cancer! appeared first on Operation Eyesight.