One Mother's Mission To Save Her Daughter's Sight

Most people think of cataracts as a condition that affects older people. But, around the world, it’s actually one of the leading causes of preventable blindness in children. And little Racheal was unlucky enough to be one of the many children born with cataracts in both eyes.

Once Verah realized there was a problem, nothing would stand in the way of her finding sight-saving care for her daughter. Her remote village is more than 300 miles away from the closest eye hospital but, when Orbis held a screening in a neighboring village, Verah saw her chance.

She strapped her daughter to her back, climbed onto her bike and cycled the 60km to Orbis’s screening. Finally, she had a diagnosis – her daughter had cataracts.

Arrangements were made, and little Verah was brought to Kitwe Eye Annex, one of Orbis’s partner hospitals, for treatment.

Thanks to kind Orbis supporters, Racheal underwent a straight-forward operation to replace the cloudy lenses in her eyes. It was a success and after a short recovery, Racheal’s bandages could be removed. Just look at how excited she was to see – she took them off herself!

After this funny and touching moment, Racheal started to wave her hand in front of her own face – it was clear that her vision was returning. Then she turned and saw her mother’s smile for the first time.

Thanks to people like you, this beautiful child has a chance at a better future. With her new glasses, she’s ready to play, learn and grow up just like any other child – without her vision holding her back.

With a donation today, you can help give a child like Racheal the sight-saving care they need. And with blindness set to triple by 2050, your support is needed now more than ever.

Together, we can prevent this crisis and give many more people the life-changing eye care they deserve.