PHILIPPINES – Watching your son or daughter suffer with childhood cataracts can be a devastating blow. This affliction of the eyes can rob little ones of their precious eyesight, jeopardizing their ability to learn, play, and fully engage with the world around them.
Catriona’s Struggle with Childhood Cataracts
At just 3 years old, Catriona in the Philippines was facing this very challenge. Born with double cataracts, she was in a race against time to receive the surgery she desperately needed. Her worried mother, Clarissa, knew the stakes were high. “The doctors said the longer she went without getting eye surgery, the greater the risk that she would lose her eyesight,” she recalled.
Tragically, the cost of removal and lens implantation surgery placed this life-changing treatment out of reach for Clarissa’s family. Earning just $6 per day, they had exhausted all options, even pleading with local government officials for help. “They gave us empty promises,” Clarissa lamented.
Operation Blessing Steps in to Restore Catriona’s Sight
Fortunately, thanks to caring friends like you, Operation Blessing sprang into action when we learned of Catriona’s plight. Excited about the opportunity of a future with clear vision, Catriona said, “When I get my surgery, I won’t cry.”
True to our mission, Operation Blessing covered the full cost of Catriona’s procedure, removing the cataracts and replacing her lenses. With your help, we also addressed a small issue with her crossed eye, restoring her vision and giving her a new lease on life.
Her mother said, “We’d been looking around for help and there was none. And then you found us and helped us. God gave us Operation Blessing as an answer to our prayer. Thank you.”
Empowering Families Through Surgery
Catriona’s story is a poignant reminder of the life-changing impact of child cataract surgery. Yet, for many families across the Philippines and around the world, accessing this critical treatment remains out of reach due to financial constraints.
That’s where the generous donors and partners of Operation Blessing step in. Through their contributions, Operation Blessing is able to provide free cataract surgery and other vital surgeries to children in need. You are the reason families like Catriona’s can reclaim the gift of sight and look forward to a brighter future.
Learn more about Operation Blessing’s life-changing surgery program as well as how you can make a difference. Together, we can help children suffering from childhood cataracts and other curable conditions. Your partnership can give them a brighter future!
“We’d been looking around for help and there was none. And then you found us and helped us. God gave us Operation Blessing as an answer to our prayer. Thank you.”
-Clarissa
