Lalise’s Story
Giving the gift of sight this Mother’s Day
Imagine it’s Mother’s Day and you can hear the voice of your child but you cannot see his face. This is what life was like for Lalise, a 23-year-old Ethiopian mother who had been blind for over a year and had never seen the face of her 4-month-old son. Sitting in her small, dirt-floored shanty, Lalise’s sister faithfully looked after both Lalise and her son while Lalise’s husband was away from home struggling to make a meager living.
When our eye team found Lalise, she was in deep depression. She felt that her life had no meaning, no hope, and no future. The following short film will show you how a five minute procedure, costing less than $50(USD) restored Lalise’s sight and gave her a bright hopeful future. With just a “click” of the donate button below, you too can bless a blind mother in Ethiopia with the gift of seeing her children this mother’s day.
The problem
Ethiopia has one of the highest percentages of blind people per capita of any country in the world. Eighty percent of this blindness is either preventable or treatable. Simply stated–it does not to have to happen. Ethiopians do not have seeing-eye dogs. Instead, you will see small children slowly, quietly, and faithfully leading a blind person through the streets. These children have no opportunity to receive an education or even play with their friends. A $50 (USD) cataract surgery, which takes less than ten minutes to preform, can restore vision to a blind person. However, lack of access to health care and extreme poverty are barriers to making this basic surgery possible.
How we help
THAF provides the funding needed to preform cataract surgery and restore vision to those who can not afford medical care. This simple procedure results in the liberation of an indentured child who can then return to school, play with their friends, and live a normal happy life. In addition, the blind person can return to an independent and productive life. This lifts a huge economic burden from the family. We also treat many other eye diseases as well as provide simple reading glasses for those with poor vision.
“I’ve completed nearly 15,000 surgeries, and this case, Bontu, is the most satisfying case I’ve ever had.”
-Dr. Samuel Bora Imana