Trapped in a world blurred
by cataracts

For 10-year-old Shahadeb, each morning, as the sunlight pierced through the wooden slats of his home in rural Bangladesh, he opened his eyes to a blur.

“I couldn’t see small things,” Shahadeb remembers. “I couldn’t see anything. I used to have trouble walking around. My eyesight was very bad.”

For children like Shahadeb, sight loss from cataracts traps them in a world that’s hard to navigate – and it can seriously limit opportunities for the future. Shahadeb struggled to learn at school because he couldn’t read his textbooks. Cataracts were depriving Shahadeb of his childhood, education, and putting his chances for future employment at risk.

A straightforward operation could transform his sight, but time was running out. Because Shahadeb’s eyes were sending blurry images to his brain, the part responsible for seeing couldn’t develop properly. After 10 years old, 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 left struggling with sight loss for the rest of their lives. Will you give a gift today which could help provide life-changing operation to help a child like Shahadeb see clearly for the first time?

Thankfully, Shahadeb was seen by a local team at a Sightsavers eye screening centre. His diagnosis was simple and confirmed he had cataracts.

Shahadeb needed a cataract operation on both eyes, but sadly the COVID-19 lockdowns meant many of our operations in Bangladesh were delayed, and Shahadeb had to wait six months between his two operations. Despite the anxious wait, his treatment was a complete success.

“When a child who couldn’t see can see after the operation, it’s a matter of great joy.”
Dr Nazrul Islam, Shahadeb’s surgeon

A cataract operation is the start of a brand-new world for children like Shahadeb. For the very first time, Shahadeb could see his family clearly.

Sadly, there are thousands more children waiting for the chance to be freed from cataracts. Children who want to experience the joy of sight, be independent and enjoy the new opportunities now open to Shahadeb.

Your gift today could help to bring that happiness and joy to another child like Shahadeb. Please give a gift and help more children get the urgent treatment they need to see clearly for the very first time.

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