As morning sunlight filled his home in rural Bangladesh, 10-year-old Shahadeb opened his eyes to a blur.
Shahadeb suffered with cataracts, making the world difficult to navigate. He struggled at school as poor vision meant he couldn’t read his textbooks. Cataracts were not only depriving Shahadeb of his childhood but also threatening his opportunities for education and future employment.
A straightforward operation could have transformed Shahadeb’s sight, but time was running out. His eyes were sending blurry images to his brain, preventing the part responsible for vision from developing properly. After the age of 10, even a cataract operation might not have been enough to avoid permanent sight loss.
Without support from Sightsavers and our local partners, thousands of children with cataracts could be affected by sight loss for the rest of their lives.
I couldn’t see anything. I used to have trouble walking around. My eyesight was very bad.
Thankfully, Shahadeb was diagnosed with cataracts at a local Sightsavers eye screening centre. He underwent successful cataract operations on both eyes and, for the very first time, Shahadeb could see his family clearly.
A cataract operation is the start of a brand-new world for a child like Shahadeb, but thousands more children are waiting for urgent treatment. Please donate to Sightsavers and help restore children’s vision and improve their quality of life.
Where does my donation go?
91% of donations, including donated supplies, support our vital charity work. The remainder helps us grow awareness of Sightsavers and raise more funds for our life-changing projects.
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