12 life-changing stories of sight restored
With the help of our many kind and generous supporters, we're able to restore sight to people from all around the world who otherwise would have gone blind.
We'd like to share with you 12 of our favourite inspirational stories of people who have had their sight restored.
You can see for yourself how your generosity has given every single one of these people hope for a better life.
In a hurry?
Click on the link to jump to each story:
1. Hawiti from Ethiopia
Hawiti Tufa is a 60-year-old grandmother of four who received trachoma surgery earlier this year. She was one of hundreds of people who patiently queued in the rain under the awnings of the health centre near rural Jeju to receive treatment. Hawiti told our team about the severe eye pain she had been experiencing for over a year. Hawiti had walked with her daughter for more than three hours to make the 21km journey.
The operation was performed by a young surgeon, Feyera Bekele, trained by The Fred Hollows Foundation. He is just 25 years old and has performed more than 300 surgeries. The surgery was a success and Hawiti is now free from both pain and risk of permanent blindness.
She describes her relief: "I felt free when they took the patch off."
Read more about Trachoma
Trachoma surgery patient, Hawiti. Photographer: Michael Amendolia (2018)
2. Samuel from Kenya
Eight-year-old Samuel lives in a small village in rural Kenya and couldn't see clearly because of cataract in both eyes. He relied a lot on his twin brother, John. Hand in hand, they would walk to school together. John would always sit beside Samuel in class, pick him up when he fell and pull him away from the fire if he got too close.
Samuel's parents couldn’t afford surgery and, if left untreated, Samuel was going to go permanently blind. This family was so relieved when they found out The Fred Hollows Foundation could help Samuel with surgery.
"He has changed so much. He can see clearly," Samuel's father excitedly told us. "He’s telling his brother that he’ll work so hard in school and perform even better than him."
Read more about our work in Kenya
3. Monica from Kenya
Monica is a 31-year-old single mum. She has two boys, Moses Kiiru, eight, and Brian Kamau, three. Monica also has diabetes, and earlier this year, she found out something else: she had bilateral cataract.
"All of a sudden I became short-sighted and could not see things clearly," Monica said.
"Life was unbearable during that time but I had to be strong in order to provide for my children and raise them well."
Monica wasn't able to afford the eye surgery she needed. Thankfully, The Fred Hollows Foundation was able to provide her with that surgery at Sabatia Eye Hospital, and her reaction was one of joy. And her children were thrilled to see their mum healthy.
"They were so happy, I saw tears coming out of their eyes." Monica said. "I danced so much even my sons joined me!"
Alexcis, 13, was losing his sight to bilateral cataract. Not only was it painful but it also limited Alexcis from enjoying all the things other boys his age were doing – going to school, playing on the beach with his friends, and going on adventures around his island.
Luckily, his father, Randy heard about the eye care program led by The Fred Hollows Foundation in Surigao del Norte, a three-hour boat ride from their home. It was there that workers trained by The Fred Hollows Foundation were able to screen and remove the cataract in Alexcis' eyes.
"I am excited to go back to school," said Alexcis. "I can see everything now!"
Read more about Alexcis
5. Long John from Nitmiluk, Australia
Long John Dewar is the resident artist at Nitmiluk (Katherine) Gorge but, having already lost the use of his right eye, he was faced with a daunting reality: the loss of vision in his left eye as well because of cataract.
Long John has worked his whole life with vision in just his left eye: "I used to work mustering cattle, fencing, as a manager," he said about his life before painting. "I used to work odd jobs, go to other stations, when I was young. It was all with one eye."
Long John was able to have the cataract removed at an intensive surgery day in Darwin facilitated and funded by The Fred Hollows Foundation.
"But I can see now! I can see the people, the town, the clouds. I can do a big one [painting] now. I'll do a crocodile. Oh yeah, I'm excited."
Sally is a loving grandmother who lives a few hours away from Katherine in the Northern Territory. Because of untreated cataract, Sally suffered from blurred vision and persistent eye pain. If untreated, she would have gone permanently blind.
Through our Indigenous Australia Program, Sally was able to get the help she needed. And now she can see her grandkids again, she can cook for them again, and she can enjoy all the things she loves.
In her own words, Sally's world is "brighter, brighter, brighter".
Read more about our work in Indigenous Australia
7. John and Henderika from Kenya
John, 87, and Henderika, 77, are one of the sweetest couples we've ever met. They have seen everything together during their 57 years of married life and have raised 10 children and cared for 16 grandchildren. But John and Henderika had both developed cataract that they did not know could be treated.
Luckily, Henderika was able to visit a hospital where she found out about a Fred Hollows Foundation outreach eye camp, and that’s where they both learned that they didn't have to put up with living in the dark.
"We are very grateful we will get our sight back and be able to get back home and do our jobs and not depend on someone else," Henderika says.
Read more about cataract
Shoua, 7, and her brother, Blong, 4, were both born with cataract. There was hardly any joy in their young lives and their future didn’t look too bright – they weren’t going to school, they had no friends to play with and would spend all day at home, dependent on their father.
To make matters worse, Porlee was developing cataract himself. As a single father, he lived in fear for his children's safety, were he to go blind himself!
It was fortunate that Porlee was able to take his children to a Fred Hollows Foundation sponsored mobile eye clinic that visited the remote areas of Laos, where they got a proper diagnosis and referral needed for cataract surgery.
Dr Phetsamone, a surgeon trained by The Fred Hollows Foundation, treated this young family and had this to say: "It was a privilege to free this man from the fear that his children would face a lifetime of danger and disadvantage. It was a joy to watch Shoua and Blong so animated and happy."
Single father Porlee, seven year-old Shoua and her four year-old brother, Blong, all had cataract. Photographer: Mary Tran (2018)
9. The Timbang family from Philippines
Three generations of the Timbang family, from Tarlac in the Philippines, were left partially blind from a rare genetic cataract. Doctors think the Timbang family has a rare genetic form of cataracts and so far 43 members of the family across three generations have been diagnosed with cataract.
Family matriarch, grandmother Iluminada Timbang Paculanan said: "The kids are lucky if they can finish Grade 6 because they can't even see the blackboard."
"The Foundation became interested in them and we outlined the family tree and found out so many of them had cataract," said Dr Shelley Mangahas from Tarlac Eye Centre.
In one day, 12 members of the family were able to receive surgery. That’s 12 lives transformed in one day! And it’s all thanks to people like you.
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