Mai realised growing old doesn’t mean growing blind

My story

Mai struggled with partial blindness for seven years.

Mai is 75 yeras old and a nomad in the Balochistan province in the southwest of Pakistan. Seven years ago, her health failed and she became almost completely blind.

Without her sight, Mai was unable to cook, tend to her family’s goats or  help to look after her grandchildren. Her husband also had failing eye-sight, and they both believed it was an unavoidable symptom of old age. For seven years they struggled on without seeking treatment.

How we helped
When Mai’s nomadic tribe reached the region of Quetta this summer, she heard word of an eye hospital which was offering free eye examinations. The Layton Rahmatulla Benevolent Trust (LRBT) Eye Hospital is part of a network of eye hospitals which serves the neglected areas of Pakistan, and is funded by Seeing is Believing. 

Mai’s husband visited the hospital the very next day to find he had cataracts which could be operated on. Following the success of her husband’s treatment, Mai also had an eye screening and discovered she too could have her sight restored.

After her surgery, Mai couldn’t believe her eyes. Her sight was completely restored and she was brought to tears when she saw her grandchildren for the very first time.

Her life has been restored along with her sight, as she is able to resume her role of looking after her family and her goats. She will also be able to spread the word to others in her community that growing old does not mean growing blind.

 If you’d like to help tell people like Mai that their sight can be restored, please donate.