82-year-old Simiyu and his wife, Philomena, live in the agricultural town of Kitale, Kenya. They have five children, four daughters and a son, who live away from home.

Both Simiyu and Philomena struggled with deteriorating vision for years. Eventually, Simiyu went completely blind.

“I used to have a persistent headache,” says Simiyu. “ I couldn’t see at all and had to depend on my wife to guide me around. I’d be taken outside to bask in the sun and then taken back inside the house. I felt like a sheet being hanged outside to dry.”

The already struggling couple was suddenly facing a future bleaker than they had ever imagined. Philomena had very little vision left in her left eye, and she knew it was only a matter of time before she joined her husband in the dark world of blindness.

“I’m the one who was afflicted first. I suffered from visual impairment for three years before my husband became blind,” says Philomena. “I used to cry a lot. What would become of us when I lost my sight? I was the only breadwinner and I am my husband’s caretaker.”

Simiyu and Philomena were devastated. Their hope turned into despair. But they had no choice but to continue eking a living with the fast-dimming vision of their left eyes.

Finally, Simiyu went completely blind. He was forced to leave his casual work at a local dairy farm, cutting the couple off from half of their income.

In spite of this, every Sunday Philomena would take her husband’s hand and, with her precious remaining vision, guide them both to church.

Little did this couple know that their lives were about to get a whole light brighter.

One Sunday, medics from Kitale Eye Unit conducted a free eye screening at the local church. Simuyu and Philomena were present, and both were identified with cataract in their left eyes. In no time, they were booked for sight-restoring surgery at Kitale Eye Unit.

When the fateful day came, the Eye Unit car was sent to pick them up. Philomena took her husband’s hand as she had done so many times before. They were both optimistic but apprehensive of the outcome.

Thankfully, Bernard, a community health volunteer, did his best to reassure them that all would be well. They couldn’t have found someone better to calm their fears. After all, Bernard had been blind himself before having his sight restored with cataract surgery.

And so the couple underwent cataract surgery on the same day. After their surgery, a community health worker followed up with the couple to ensure they received quality post-op care.

Simiyu and Philomena’s eyes have healed, and now they can see clearly!

“We were so afraid,” says Philomena. “But you [Operation Eyesight] came to our rescue. I jumped with joy when both of us could see again!”

“Now I can see everywhere,” announces Simiyu with a smile. “I can now walk around on my own without any assistance.”

On her part, Philomena is already thinking about their next phase of life. She would like to save up to start a small business.

Simiyu agrees. “I would like to join my wife in starting a small business so we can become completely self-reliant,” he says.

All of this was made possible by compassionate people like you, who gave from their hearts so couples like Philomena and Simiyu could live with hope and dignity. Thank you so much!

There are thousands of other couples like Philomena and Simiyu who need your help. With Valentine’s Day approaching, why not show your love by giving the gift of sight to others? Your gift will change lives and give people hope for a happier brighter future. You can even send your sweetheart a Valentine’s Day eCard and give the gift of sight at the same time!

The post Thanks to you, this couple escaped despair appeared first on Operation Eyesight.

Of course, none of Operation Eyesight’s work could happen without your generosity. And as a result, amazing things are happening. Big things – like vision centres and blindness prevention programs and even entire health care systems.

And the big things are even more astounding when we look at them as their individual parts. Remember Ruth? Ruth started having vision problems when she was just five years old. Her teacher and her parents feared for her future. She couldn’t see the board at school, no matter where she sat in the classroom.

For children living in Africa and Asia (especially girls), getting an education is the one sure path to building a brighter future. Without it, the future can look very dim.

Ruth, and many others like her, live in poor and remote communities. Because of this, they don’t have access to quality eye health care, or eye health care education. And even if they do, more often than not, they can’t afford the treatment they need.

But thanks to your support, Ruth, and others like her, have been given such a loving gift – the Gift of Sight! Ruth received cataract surgery free of charge to her and her family.

Your support has helped thousands of people in Africa and Asia to this day. And we at Operation Eyesight can’t thank you enough for opening your heart to those who aren’t as fortunate as we are, with access to quality health care. If you’re a Canadian, then your costs are even covered by the government.

What’s more is that we know there are all kinds of good causes out there, all vying for your attention.

It can be a real challenge to raise awareness about the plight of the blind of Asia and Africa… but that’s why we appreciate you so much. By supporting Operation Eyesight, you have extended your hearts and minds to people on the other side of the planet – people you’ve never met, but you care about them all the same. And that’s incredible!

We at Operation Eyesight have met many of the people you’ve helped, and they all say the same thing: “You have given me back my sight and now I can live again. Thank you, thank you!”

We may be the ones who hear these words, but our patients understand that their eyesight was restored because someone far away sent a generous gift. When they say thank you, they say it with heartfelt emotion, and they’re saying it to you.

And we at the Calgary office also want to say from the bottom of our hearts, thank you, thank you! For all that you do – For All The World To See.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

The post A warm “thank you!” from people around the world. appeared first on Operation Eyesight.

Seriously, here in our Calgary office we care a great deal for the people who support our work. Many of you have been dropping by the office or sending cheques for years. Some of you are like family.

Other times, we’ll get a big cheque in the mail or receive an encouraging phone call from far away, and the news will travel through the building like wildfire. Hearing about new donors is always a big thrill because that tells us our message is getting through.

Of course, none of Operation Eyesight’s work could happen without your generosity. And as a result, amazing things are happening. Big things – like new hospitals and blindness prevention programs and even entire health care systems. But also smaller things, like a man or woman leaving the eye clinic, squinting into the sunlight and saying something like: “Hey, it’s bright out here. I had forgotten how bright the sun could be.”

There are all kinds of good causes out there, all vying for your attention. Local causes have the best chance of raising money and profile because half the time, the cause is something that affects the donors personally.

Drawing attention to the plight of the blind of India and Africa can be a big challenge, I won’t deny it. But that’s another reason why we appreciate you so much. By supporting Operation Eyesight, you have extended your hearts and minds to people on the other side of the planet – people you care about, but will probably never meet. But I have met them, and here’s what I hear them say: “You have given me back my sight and now I can live again. Thank you, thank you!”

I may be the one who hears these words, but our patients understand that their eyesight was restored because someone far away sent a gift. When they say thank you, often with great emotion, they’re saying it to you.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

We’d love to hear from you. click the “Leave a comment” button below to comment on this post, or just to say hi.

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