TOMS Blog

Looking through the window nearly two years ago, Sanh Sorng, 71 from Cambodia, noticed that everything he saw was blurry. The vision in both of his eyes was deteriorating and everything looked like it was filtered through a smoke-like screen.

Upon visiting the Battambang Eye Unit and receiving a full eye exam, he was told he had cataract in both eyes.
 

Cataract is the leading global cause of blindness, responsible for 51% of vision loss worldwide. Cataract is the clouding of the lens of the eye, which can cause a blockage in the passage of light. It results in blurry vision and if left untreated, can cause blindness.

It is likely that if we live long enough, we will all develop cataract due to the natural changes of the eye’s lens. In the United States, cataract is typically identified as people age and is operated on before people become blind. But in low-income countries, cataract and resulting blindness are far more prevalent, as many people can’t afford or access professional eye care services.

“The loss of sight has a deep economic and social impact on the lives of individuals, their families and communities,” shares Dr. Chundak Tenzing from Seva Foundation. “Fortunately, blindness due to cataract can be treated.”

With the TOMS Sight Giving model, eye care professionals are able to provide a full eye exam and if there is a cataract, surgeons remove the cloudy natural lens and replace it with a new artificial lens. The surgery takes about 15 minutes and vision is restored almost immediately.

When Sahn Sorng’s bandages were removed the day after his cataract surgery, he stood up and moved slowly, but confidently with his newly restored vision.

“Now I can see through the window. The cloud has gone away!” he shared excitedly. “I can go to pagoda and the rice fields, and I am especially happy I can see the faces of my family members again.”

Thanks to a TOMS Eyewear purchase, Sanh Sorng was given the surgery he needed. Sight-saving and restoring surgery is one of three ways Sight Giving works. For a deeper understanding of how you’re helping support Sight Giving through surgery, prescription glasses, and medical care, take a look at this album on our Facebook page. One for One.

*Source: WHO/Vision2020.org, 2011