Sohel is Rohingya - an ethnic minority in his home country of Myanmar. When military forces began brutally attacking Rohingya villages, Sohel’s family fled across the border to Bangladesh. They live in a crowded refugee camp in Cox's Bazar. One day, an unfortunate accident left the 6-year-old boy with a painful eye injury and vision loss.
Sohel was playing with a toy on a string when he lost his grip and it struck his eye very hard. After the accident his eye hurt constantly and his vision was blurry.
Just days before the accident, the happy young boy would play with his friends in camp without any worries.
When Sohel came for eye treatment at Balukhali Camp, he was referred to our partner Cox’s Bazar Baitush Sharaf Hospital who brought him along with other children to Chittagong Eye Infirmary & Training Complex for surgery.
Screening time: Eye doctors checking Sohel's eye injury
Brave Sohel was excited for his operation which is quite unusual for such a young child. We asked him what he hoped for after surgery.
He had little concept of what it would be like to see so his family simply responded 'he’d like to learn to play again.'
The next day following eye surgery (where a Rupture Globe Repair was performed) he was happy again and had a big smile on his face.
He was delighted that he could finally see again!
Sohel told us: ‘I am delighted to receive the treatment and have my vision restored. Thanks to QFFD (Qatar Fund For Development), Orbis and others for treating my eyesight.’
Sohel pictured with his grandma smiling happily after sight-saving surgery
It's all thanks to kindness and generosity of supporters like you that Sohel could get the vision-restoring surgery he needed at one of our partner hospitals nearby.
Now this little boy - who has already endured so much tragedy in his young life - will have the best chance at a bright future.
With your support, you can help us reach families in even the most remote places in the world, where quality eye care is scarce or non-existent.
Every gift to Orbis is life-changing. And every smiling child - like Sohel - is proof.
We know that you share our goal of eliminating preventable blindness worldwide.
We’re making incredible progress, but we need your help to do more.
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