Thank you for changing a life forever!
Suman’s Miracle Day
Cataracts were slowly turning Suman’s world into a dark and lonely place. As a result of her deteriorating eyesight, she struggled to read the letters on the blackboard at school. Eventually she had to drop out of school altogether.
Suman’s parents desperately wanted to help their daughter, but they simply couldn’t afford the cost of surgery and glasses.
Suman’s fortunes changed when a team from the Biratnagar Eye Hospital visited Suman’s school. As fieldworker Shrawan explains, “The teacher informed us about a young girl who had to drop out, due to her inability to read the letters on the blackboard. The teacher gave us the family’s details and requested if we could do something to restore her eyesight. We immediately planned a visit to the girl’s home.”
Suman has undergone two successful eye surgeries and, as you can imagine, the day she had her first Miracle surgery is a day she’ll never forget.
It’s the day Suman and her parents have been praying for… the day of Suman’s cataract surgery at the Eye Hospital in Nepal. It was a day filled with promise and hope… a day you were very much a part of.
It’s 7.30 am and Suman is undergoing a pre-surgery eye examination by senior ophthalmologist, Dr Singh. “She has bilateral, developmental cataract. It’s quite mature and dense. So, she’s unable to see properly,” says the surgeon. “We’re planning to operate on this child today. And hopefully, she will have a good visual recovery after the operation.”
Suman can now see!
Suman sits in the waiting room with her father, Munna, and four other children who are scheduled for surgery that day. The hospital also has 200 adult patients today – mostly elderly people from northern India who are having cataract surgery.
Thanks to you, skilled surgeons are performing hundreds of modern day miracles every day.
Using an operating microscope for pinpoint accuracy, Dr Singh makes a small incision at one end of Suman’s eye and removes the cataract. The nurse then passes him the tiny artificial lens which he gently implants into the eye. A little while later, the surgery is over and a nurse covers Suman’s eye with a green surgical patch.
The next morning when the eye patch is removed from Suman’s eye, it marks a new beginning in her life.
“I can see bright light and colours around me,” Suman exclaims joyfully. “It’s like I’m slowly coming out of a dark room into the bright outdoors.”
In the afternoon, Suman receives her glasses and is clearly delighted with the pair of light pink spectacles. Her mother, Deepa, is truly grateful to friends like you that her little girl has been given the Miracle gift of sight:
“I cannot believe that my daughter has finally received treatment. We waited so long to see this day. May God bless everyone who has helped my daughter.”
As part of the CBM family, we’re looking forward to sharing more stories of hope with you over the coming months. Thank you!
Over 50,000
Miracle gifts
of sight
– Thank you!
This year’s Miracles Day hoped to provide 50,000 Miracle gifts of sight for people living in poverty. Thanks to the amazing generosity of everyone who supported this important appeal, over 50,000 Miracle gifts have been received. These gifts will change lives forever – giving people a new hope and a future they can look forward to, where dreams can be realised.
❤️ Thankful voices from around the world
India
By restoring Salman’s vision, you’ve helped to restore his hopes and dreams too.
“I’ll make new friends at school. I’ll play football and cricket with them. I’ll work hard and do well in my studies.”
Bangladesh
Thanks to friends like you, 67-year-old Shabdul has regained his sight… and his independence.
“I can see well. Now I can do everything. I am feeling good.”
The Philippines
With her sight restored, 9-year-old Efril believes anything is possible.
“I want to be an actress who also sings and dances,” she says joyfully.
Nepal
Nanak is thankful to you for the smile that lights up his 6-year-old grandson’s face.
“I have never seen Gokul so happy. Thank you for all your love and support. You have blessed Gokul with a new life.”
Your love and kindness reaches across the world to people living in places where even basic eyecare is unaffordable. Places where children and adults are going blind – needlessly.
CBM works around the world with our partners and eyecare professionals to change thousands of lives every year. But none of us could do what we do without you. You are such an important part of the CBM family.
Every time a surgeon performs delicate cataract surgery, your support has made it possible.
Every time a child tries their new glasses on for the first time and their face lights up with joy, you are right there with them.
Thank you!
In 2020…
- More than 748,000 people received eye health services.
- Over 74,000 people benefited from sight-saving surgery.
- 102,328 pairs of glasses and low-vision devices were provided.
Lives are being changed forever – because of YOU.
Your support has an impact in the world’s poorest places. You’re changing lives forever. Thank you!
Creating real, lasting change... together
CBM is a Christian international development organisation devoted to improving the lives of people with disabilities in the poorest places on earth.
Your support funds hundreds of community-based projects on four continents, that help millions of people benefit from real, lasting change.
People with disabilities in developing countries are far more likely to be isolated, experience inequality and live in extreme poverty.
With your support, CBM works with local partners to prevent and treat avoidable causes of blindness such as cataract, river blindness and trachoma, and treat conditions like club foot to avoid permanent impairment.
Practical help
Your donations help practically by providing aids and equipment, access to much-needed treatment, learning a skill and going to school.
Equality for all
our work opens the door for people with disabilities to gain an education, open a business, earn a living, make friends and be part of their community, often for the first time in their lives.
Breaking the cycle of poverty
Your kindness helps us influence communities, organisations and governments to change attitudes and policies so everyone is included.