One day, his mom, Samanta, sent him outside to sweep the compound, but he came back complaining that he couldn’t locate the broom. When she went to look for herself, she saw the broom lying on the porch in plain sight and realized there was something wrong with Isaac’s eyesight.

As a single mom, Samanta works hard as a trader in the marketplace in their village of Oponso, in Ghana’s Central Region. She knew that an eye exam, and any subsequent treatments, would be out of her budget.

Hope arrived during an eye health screening at Isaac’s school, where staff identified his eye condition. His younger sister, five-year-old Grace, also got a referral for further examination. The school eye health screening was made possible through our partnerships with Ghana Health Service and Ghana Education Service and funded by the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID’s) Child Blindness Program.

The program trains community health nurses and school employees to perform basic eye screenings. Students requiring follow-up receive referrals to the nearest hospital. Because of the increased efficiency, entire schools – students and teachers alike – can be screened in a fraction of the time it would take otherwise.

Samanta brought the two children to our partner hospital, Watborg Eye Services, in nearby Accra, and both received diagnoses for cataracts. They were quickly scheduled in for surgery, which was provided free of charge.

Three weeks later, our program staff caught up with Samanta, who was thrilled with her children’s progress, now that they are free from cataracts. She says little Grace now spends more time outside playing with her friends. As for Isaac, he once again helps around the house, happy that his future is back in focus.

With story and photo files from Isaac Owusu Baffoe

This story was made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the responsibility of Operation Eyesight Canada and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.

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Last summer, Vinit and his wife Anchal learned that their baby girls were born with Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP). Together, the family has faced a challenging journey, witnessing the incredible growth and resilience of their precious daughters.  

ROP is a serious eye condition that affects premature and low-birthweight infants and is the primary cause of childhood blindness in this demographic. Vinit and Anchal know just how frightening ROP can be. 

In June 2022, during her seventh month of pregnancy, Anchal gave birth to twin girls in Moradabad, India. Both babies weighed just three pounds and were breathing rapidly. They were rushed and admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) to receive treatment for lung infections.  

While in the NICU, the doctor treating the girls recommended that they both undergo screening for ROP at the C.L. Gupta Eye Institute, our partner hospital in Moradabad. Following the screening, both girls were diagnosed with severe cases of ROP. 

Vinit and Anchal had never heard of ROP before, nor did they have any idea how severe the condition can be. They feared their children wouldn’t be able to see. After the girls’ diagnoses, the doctor guided Vinit and Anchal through the screening process and showed them images of their daughters’ conditions. 

There are five stages of ROP and treatment no longer works in the last two stages, ultimately resulting in childhood blindness. However, if identified and screened within one month of pre-term birth, ROP in stage three is completely treatable. This is why early detection is critical. 

From the outside, nothing appeared wrong. However, when Vinit looked at the screens, he saw the severity of ROP. Both Ayan’s and Vyan’s screens showed blood leaking inside their eyes. The doctor explained to the parents that if the girls didn’t receive timely treatment, they would have further complications and possibly lose their vision.  

At just five weeks old, both babies received treatment at the C.L. Gupta Eye Institute. They underwent injections in both eyes, followed by laser treatment later on. Now, Vinit and Anchal take their daughters for regular monthly checkups at the hospital. 

Thanks to the generosity of our donors and the early diagnosis and treatment provided by local doctors, both girls have fully recovered and are thriving today. 

Vinit and Anchal are grateful to Operation Eyesight and the C.L. Gupta Eye Institute. “Every parent hopes the best for their baby and that they are well and grow properly,” explains Vinit. “The hospital has made things very easy. Otherwise, there would be no life without eyesight.” 

We began addressing ROP three years ago in the Moradabad District of the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. A local team now regularly visits 40 maternity centres in the area to examine preterm newborns, and the screening programs are working.  

As of June 2023, the program, known as “Born Too Soon”, has screened 253 premature babies, of which 49 were diagnosed with ROP and provided treatment. That is 49 infants who have had their sight preserved thanks to early intervention.  

You can help expand our Born Too Soon program and ensure more families like Vinit’s experience a life free of avoidable blindness.

Please donate today.

The post Double victory: Twin sisters overcome Retinopathy of Prematurity appeared first on Operation Eyesight.

It’s normal to think about blindness as a personal condition. After all, it’s easiest to imagine how it would affect your life. But for Surajkali, blindness stole not just her independence, but her 10-year old grandson’s, too.

Surajkali is 65 and from India. She lives in Rurwahar Village in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. Her husband is a farmer while she manages their home. Two years ago, her eyesight began to fail. Eventually, she couldn’t see at all. Her grandson, Suraj, had to guide her around her home, to the store and even to the toilet.

Poor Surajkali! She could no longer do her chores and tasks, and poor Suraj, who had to drop out of school to care for his Grandmother. Surajkali needed him so constantly that he couldn’t play with his friends. Imagine how sad they both must have felt.

Luckily, Surajkali was visited by a community health worker. Going doorto-door, the worker was one of many workers trained under Operation Eyesight’s Community Eye Health model. In Kanpur, this is in partnership with Dr. Jawahar Lal Rohatgi Eye Hospital.

The community health worker identified Surajkali’s blindness as cataract. Surajkali had never heard of this condition. She’d feared she’d be blind forever. The worker advised Surajkali to seek surgery.

The cataract in both of Surajkali’s eyes were soon removed. Now she can see again, thanks to our amazing supporters! She has her independence back and can do her daily tasks. Meanwhile, Suraj has returned to school. He’s happy that he can go out and play with his friends, something every child should be able to do. What’s more, with an education, Suraj has hope for a brighter future. Imagine their joy!

Both Surajkali and Suraj have happy endings thanks to our supporters! We couldn’t do our work without their generosity. From us and everyone our supporters are helping, we say a giant THANK YOU!

The post Her blindness was destroying two lives… appeared first on Operation Eyesight.

She confided in her mother, but they couldn’t seek help since the family is extremely poor. As the only income earner in the family, Manjula’s mother works as a sweeper for the municipal government. Manjula’s two sisters are physically challenged and their mother also has to pay for their treatment.

Over time, Manjula’s vision worsened until she wasn’t able to see anything clearly. Life was just a fuzzy blur! Literally unable to focus, she finally dropped out of school. Without an education, what would become of her?

Finally, Manjula’s mother took her to a hospital, where they learned that she had treatable cataracts in both eyes. However, they could not afford the surgeries! In despair, Manjula’s mother cried that blindness was her daughter’s fate, and Manjula would have to suffer for the rest of her life.

But fate had kinder plans for this young girl! Three months later, two community health workers came across Manjula during a routine door-to-door survey.

By this time, Manjula’s vision was reduced to light and dark blurs, and she had just about given up hope of ever seeing again. Fortunately, the community health workers were able to convince Manjula’s mother that her daughter could have normal vision after surgery.

They brought Manjula to the eye screening program at Operation Eyesight’s partner hospital, Vittala International Institute of Ophthalmology, where she successfully underwent surgery for cataract. And, considering the family’s poverty, the surgeries were performed free of cost, thanks to our generous donors.

Today, Manjula is enjoying her good vision, and will return to school next term. She and her mother are grateful to the community health workers, the hospital and especially Operation Eyesight’s kind-hearted donors for changing the course of her life! Thank you!

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