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Sea is a 72-year-old grandfather from Cambodia who needs $253 to fund cataract surgery to improve his vision.

Sea
7%
  • $20 raised, $233 to go
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November 14, 2022

Sea is a 72-year-old grandfather from Cambodia. He is married and has one son, two daughters, and 14 grandchildren. He lives with his wife and his youngest daughter, who sells coffee and soft drinks from their house. He used to work as a fisherman, but stopped due to poor eyesight. When he is at home, he likes listening to the monks pray on the radio and watching boxing on television.

Three years ago, Sea developed a cataract in his right eye, causing him blurry vision. He has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so he is not able to go places on his own.

When Sea learned about our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre, he traveled for an hour and a half seeking treatment. On November 14th, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in his right eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, he needs help raising $253 to fund his procedure and care.

Sea shared, “I hope after surgery I can see better, go outside and recognize the faces of my family.”

Sea is a 72-year-old grandfather from Cambodia. He is married and has one son, two daughters, and 14 grandchildren. He lives with his wife a...

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Sea's Timeline

  • November 14, 2022
    PROFILE SUBMITTED

    Sea was submitted by Sieng Heng at Children's Surgical Centre.

  • November 14, 2022
    TREATMENT SCHEDULED

    Sea was scheduled to receive treatment at Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Centre in Cambodia. Medical partners often provide care to patients accepted by Watsi before those patients are fully funded, operating under the guarantee that the cost of care will be paid for by donors.

  • November 17, 2022
    PROFILE PUBLISHED

    Sea's profile was published to start raising funds.

  • TODAY
    AWAITING FUNDING

    Sea is currently raising funds for his treatment.

  • TBD
    AWAITING UPDATE

    Awaiting Sea's treatment update from Children's Surgical Centre.

Funded by 1 donor

Funded by 1 donor

Treatment
Cataract - One Eye
  • Cost Breakdown
  • Diagnosis
  • Procedure
On average, it costs $253 for Sea's treatment
Hospital Fees
$36
Medical Staff
$174
Medication
$0
Supplies
$43
  • Symptoms
  • Impact on patient's life
  • Cultural or regional significance

​What kinds of symptoms do patients experience before receiving treatment?

Patients with cataracts experience decreased vision, discomfort, and irritation. Cataracts occur when the lens inside the eye becomes cloudy, causing functional blindness. These changes in the lens commonly occur with increasing age and therefore affect elderly people. Cataracts can also be congenital or traumatic.

​What is the impact on patients’ lives of living with these conditions?

The decreased vision from cataracts can cause functional blindness. This makes it difficult for the patient to conduct daily activities. Patients often need a family member to help guide and care for them. If the patient is elderly, this often affects a young child in the family. When a grandmother needs help getting around, a young child is often assigned to help with her daily tasks. That child cannot go to school.

What cultural or regional factors affect the treatment of these conditions?

In many countries in the developing world, surgical services are inadequate. Cataracts remain the leading cause of blindness globally. Even where surgical services are available, barriers to surgery remain, including cost, shortage of human resources, poor infrastructure, and limited awareness about access to available services.

  • Process
  • Impact on patient's life
  • Risks and side-effects
  • Accessibility
  • Alternatives

What does the treatment process look like?

Cataract surgery is the most common surgery performed worldwide. Surgeons remove the cloudy lens and place a clear lens implant in its place.

What is the impact of this treatment on the patient’s life?

A patient's vision can improve to 20/20 within one day after the surgery.

What potential side effects or risks come with this treatment?

Cataract surgery is highly effective and carries a low risk.

How accessible is treatment in the area? What is the typical journey like for a patient to receive care?

Cataract surgery is available in most areas of Cambodia. However, free surgery is not as widely available.

What are the alternatives to this treatment?

Some debilitating effects of cataracts can be improved with glasses. When the cataract becomes mature, however, the only definitive treatment is surgical.

Meet another patient you can support

100% of your donation funds life-changing surgery.

Nafissa

Meet Nafissa. She is a 25-year old woman who shared that she tends to be very shy and reserved. She lives with her parents and her young child in an area of Burkina Faso where conflict is currently impacting their lives deeply. When she was a child, Nafissa developed a painful growth on the left side of her chin. This swelling in her lower jawbone affected her ability to eat, and was determined to be a benign tumor that needed to be removed. Her parents were able to secure the funds to send Nafissa to a hospital in Togo, where she could be treated at no cost to her family. The growth was removed, and for several years, Nafissa did well. However, the growth recurred, and in the middle of last year, Nafissa returned to Togo, where the second growth was excised. This time, however, the surgeon determined that her whole jawbone would also need to be removed. As the doctor in Togo did not have the necessary training to perform the surgery that Nafissa needed, he referred her to a physician with our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare. Miraculously, Nafissa is now scheduled for a major jaw surgery with the leading team at AIC Kijabe Hospital in Kenya. As Nafissa's husband abandoned her because of her condition, and provides no support to Nafissa or their child, Nafissa and her parents are looking to you to help fund the $1,500 procedure, which will finally relieve Nafissa of the pain and symptoms that result from the tumor. Nafissa says: “It pains me that I have to stay at home with no friends. Making it worse, I cannot work to provide for my child.”

57% funded

57%funded
$861raised
$639to go

Meet another patient you can support

100% of your donation funds life-changing surgery.