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Success! Samet from Cambodia raised $229 to fund cataract surgery to improve her vision.

Samet
100%
  • $229 raised, $0 to go
$229
raised
$0
to go
Fully funded
Samet's treatment was fully funded on April 22, 2022.

Photo of Samet post-operation

May 9, 2022

Samet underwent cataract surgery to improve her vision.

Although Samet was initially nervous to travel for her surgery, she shared that the skilled staff at our medical partner CSC made her feel confident she had made the right decision. Her surgery went well, and she returned home the next day with eye drops to continue the healing process. With better vision, Samet can do housework again and help her grandchildren with their schoolwork. She looks forward to being more independent and supporting her grandchildren’s education.

Samet’s daughter said, “We are very pleased with my mother’s care. She is happier and can go outside to visit the local pagoda whenever she wants. Her eyesight is improving, and we want to thank the staff and the donors who made it possible for her to have this operation.”

Although Samet was initially nervous to travel for her surgery, she shared that the skilled staff at our medical partner CSC made her feel c...

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February 4, 2022

Samet is a 65-year-old retired teacher. She has one daughter and three grandchildren. Sadly, Samet’s husband died during the Khmer Rouge regime many years ago in Cambodia. Now she lives with her daughter, who is a farmer, and in her free time, she enjoys visiting the pagoda to listen to the monks pray.

Three years ago, Samet developed a cataract in her right eye, causing her tearing and blurry vision. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so she is not able to go places on her own.

When Samet learned about our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre, she traveled for three and a half hours seeking treatment. On February 4th, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in her right eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $229 procedure.

Samet shared, “I hope after surgery I can see people’s faces, be outside more, and do my housework well.”

Samet is a 65-year-old retired teacher. She has one daughter and three grandchildren. Sadly, Samet's husband died during the Khmer Rouge reg...

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Samet's Timeline

  • February 4, 2022
    PROFILE SUBMITTED

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

  • February 4, 2022
    TREATMENT OCCURRED

    Samet received 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.

  • February 4, 2022
    PROFILE PUBLISHED

    Samet's profile was published to start raising funds.

  • April 22, 2022
    FULLY FUNDED

    Samet's treatment was fully funded.

  • May 9, 2022
    TREATMENT UPDATE

    Samet's treatment was successful. Read the update.

Funded by 2 donors

Funded by 2 donors

Treatment
Cataract - One Eye
  • Cost Breakdown
  • Diagnosis
  • Procedure
On average, it costs $229 for Samet's treatment
Hospital Fees
$48
Medical Staff
$141
Medication
$0
Supplies
$40
  • 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.