Doctor "100% satisfied" with Tien's vision six years after Orbis surgery

When Tien was a little girl, her school peers would tell her that her eyes were different. "They teased me," she says. "It was also difficult for me because I couldn't look straight into other people's eyes." Her parents noticed she had difficulty seeing and that her condition was worsening and feared for her future.

After being told at a hospital in Ho Chi Minh City that she would need to return twice a year for appointments, Tien's father Tinh hoped for a more permanent solution. He tells us, "We had a family relative who was working in the eye hospital and they informed us about the screening activities under the Flying Eye Hospital program. That's why we brought Tien to the hospital for screening that day."

Fortunately, thanks to the generous support of Orbis donors, Tien was diagnosed and treated for strabismus in 2017. Selected as a teaching case so even more Vietnamese eye doctors could learn new techniques, her surgery was performed on board the Flying Eye Hospital by Canadian ophthalmologist and Volunteer Faculty, Dr. Asim Ali.

When Tien returned to the Flying Eye Hospital this year, Volunteer Faculty Dr. Doug Frederick expressed "100% satisfaction" with her recovery and the alignment of her eyes.

With her improved sight, Tien can now take part in all sorts of fun activities. "Every morning when I get up, I like doing exercises. And during the day in the afternoon, I will also do some sport activities like badminton, playing soccer, things like that." When asked if she finds good eyesight necessary, she responded, "yes I think that good eyesight is important for everyone, because if we can't see things clearly, it's very difficult for us to do things."

And her parents are relieved to know their daughter will no longer struggle with vision and can excel in school. "The subjects I like most include biology, music and technology," says Tien, proud that she can now easily read the sheet music.

Thanks to supporters like you, more girls like Tien are able to get quality eye care in their home community. Tien can look forward to a future of healthy vision – and because local eye teams received expert training – even more children will get the care they needed.

Tien says, "I would like to really say ‘thank you’ to Orbis – and everyone who supports Orbis – for helping people with eye problems like I once had. I'm so grateful."