Charlotte lives in Buduburam, a refugee settlement in Ghana’s Central Region. She used to sell second-hand clothing, but given the difficulty of having to trek on foot from one sales location to the other, she decided to work as a cook in her neighbourhood instead. But when her eyesight began to deteriorate, even that job became extremely difficult.
She had pain in her right eye and her vision started to blur. She couldn’t work, had difficulties sleeping at night and had to rely on her daughter to take care of everything.
Charlotte sought help at a hospital in Ghana’s capital city, Accra, about 45 km away. There, she was diagnosed with cataract and told she required surgery on her right eye. But, when she went back to the hospital for treatment, she learned she couldn’t have the operation because there was no available ophthalmologist.
This happened again and again. Each time she made the trip to the hospital, Charlotte got her hopes up that her sight would be restored, and each time she was turned away. She had nearly spent all of her money on transportation to Accra and meals on the road, and she hadn’t even seen an ophthalmologist yet.
Little did she know that help was available very close to her home, at Watborg Eye Services, an eye hospital established with support from our donors. Fortunately, two members of Charlotte’s church knew about Watborg. When they heard of Charlotte’s plight, they encouraged her to visit the nearby hospital where they too had accessed eye care services.
By the time Charlotte was examined at Watborg, she could barely distinguish hand movements with her right eye. She was relieved to hear that there was an ophthalmologist available to perform her surgery, and that her operation would be provided free of charge, thanks to Operation Eyesight’s generous donors.
Her daughter accompanied her to the hospital for surgery. After the operation, neither of them could hide their joy. Charlotte could finally see clearly again!
Today, Charlotte’s sleepless nights of worry are a thing of the past. She can work and enjoy life again. She says she’s extremely grateful to our donors, not only for supporting the construction of Watborg but for covering her surgery cost as well. Thank you!
To help more people like Charlotte, please donate to our cataract surgery program. A $50 gift today – the cost of a movie night for two – can change a life tomorrow! Thank you for your support!