Patient Stories
Patient stories about getting a second chance after grassroots interventions.
It’s how we rebuild people and communities
The facts about the incidence of blindness that arises due to poverty and inequality are well documented on this website. But to truly understand why rebuilding people and communities by seeking to combat needless blindness is so important, we first need to delve into the lives of those who have experienced transformative change.
The patients documented on this page represent a very tiny fraction of those who receive help and support from the Tej Kohli Foundation each year and an even smaller fraction of those who require support right now. Their stories help to illustrate why tackling needless blindness should be a global health priority.
- Working in construction whilst blind, Bidur injured himself frequently. Now he has received a second chance of sight.
Bidur is a 52-year-old daily wage earner working in the shadow economy of Nepal’s informal construction sector. As a part of his job, he is expected to do a lot of manual and hazardous work such as carrying heavy loads, digging trenches and breaking boulders. Frequent lockdowns due to Covid-19 mean that in recent months… - Soorya Mani Rai: Stunned disbelief and dancing with joy after being able to see again
Growing up, Soorya Mani Rai did not have access to education – there wasn’t a local school in her area, and her parents could not afford to send her away to study. But as it is in the hills of Nepal, there is plenty to do – even for a growing child. She would spend… - Tila Maya Rai: Blindly working
In medical terms, Tila Maya Rai is blind. Suffering from cataracts in both of her eyes, her vision is extremely blurred. It was only a matter of time that her cataracts would mature, making her completely blind. Thankfully, by the time of writing this story, her cataracts have been removed by the Tej Kohli &… - Dolma Tamang: Walking independently again
In Solukhumbu, ahead of a high-volume cataract outreach surgery program by the Tej Kohli and Ruit Foundation, eye health personnel are making sure that no cataract patient will miss out on the opportunity of receiving free cataract surgery. They have mobilized their resources near and far. it is not long before a call comes in… - Murathi Parsi: I could not believe my eyes
For Murathi Parsi of Karmahawa, Kapilavastu District, despite living only one hour away from an eye hospital, surgery was out of reach – the family simply did not have NRS 8,000 (approx USD 70) for her surgery. Her husband and her son, both daily wage earners, had to make do with odd jobs in construction…. - Bipana Rai: 14-year-old Bipana cured of cataract blindness
Cataracts are usually thought to affect older people, but children can also develop them – take, for example, the story of 14-year-old Bipana Rai from Solukhumbu in Nepal, who was born visually impaired due to congenital cataracts. Bipana, recently completed her eighth grade and was worried that her worsening cataracts were going to affect her… - Shri Mani Rai: Restoring sight, restoring smiles
For Shri Mani Rai, her earliest memory is of flowers – beautiful and colourful flowers at her childhood home in Solukhumbu – the foothills of Mt. Everest. At the age of sixteen, she was married, and the couple moved to Pelmang Rural Municipality. There, they started a family. Life wasn’t without struggles, but the family… - 7 Siblings Share 1 Problem… And 1 Solution
“Even if someone crossed me, I could not see”, said Lajvanti, who belongs to a family of five sisters and four brothers. Out of this family of nine siblings, seven shared the same complaint about their vision. What started as a pricking sensation in their eyes gradually snowballed into a condition wherein the siblings could… - Lakshmamma: Injured her eyes in the fieldwork.
Lakshmamma, a field worker, believes that she injured her eyes in the field when she accidentally brushed her face against a thorn. Trying to mask the pain, she continued working despite noticeable swelling in her eye. On the third day after the incident, the pain became so unbearable for Lakshmamma that she felt as if… - Shukri Murhad Sarhan: Treating a 10-year-old
World over, many people suffer from visual and eye-related conditions. Healthcare remains a priority for most nations, however, only a handful of countries have a premium and affordable eye care institute that serves all sections of society. In search of such eye care institutes, people often have to travel around the world until they find… - Shivar: Restoring the Vision and Future of an Aspiring Civil Engineer
Young people who grow up in rural India have to overcome a lot of challenges to achieve success in their life. These challenges get compounded even further when tragedy strikes in the form of a health issue. Shivar, a teenager from a rural town in Telangana, always nursed high hopes for his future. To be… - Restoring Optimism: The Story of Sheshrao
Sheshrao Bhonjai used to earn a living by selling gas balloons. In 2015, Sheshrao was involved in a tragic accident when a gas cylinder blew up. The blast was so severe that it resulted in him losing vision in both of his eyes. Immediately after the blast, Sheshrao was admitted to a small local hospital… - Shanmukhapriya: Curing a Child’s Visual Impairment
Shanmukhapriya was just six years old when her mother realized that her young child was experiencing problems with her vision. Shanmukhapriya could see blurred images of people at a distance, but could not identify them. Upon further observation, Shanmukhapriya’s mother noticed that a small spot was visible on her cornea. Dr Pravin Vaddavalli first examined… - Rama Krishna: Restoring The Vision of a Manual Labourer
There are many barriers to quality healthcare in India, and one of the biggest is poverty. Poverty doesn’t only mean that an individual is unable to pay for his or her medical treatment at a trusted facility, but often manifests as an inability to travel to healthcare. Since specialist healthcare institutions are generally located within… - Rahul Deepak: Treating an Acid Attack Survivor
Acid assault is a premeditated and heinous criminal act with the deliberate intent of inflicting pain and causing disfigurement. Whilst acid attacks in India are most often seen as gender-based violence against women, many acid attack victims are men. Many cases go unreported, and many stories are left untold, such as the story of Rahul… - Narashimhulu: Regaining Independence with Restored Eyesight
Dealing with sight loss in a developing world that is built for the sighted means increased dependency and reduced confidence. Blindness segregates those who have lost their sight from everyone else. Visual impairment often limits the ability of the person to perform everyday tasks and to move about unaided. The story of Narashimhulu was no… - Keerthana: A Life-Changing Cure For Brittle Cornea Syndrome
Visual impairment can have multiple causes. While many individuals find themselves visually impaired after mishaps or accidents, many genetically inherit certain eye diseases. One such genetic disease is Brittle Cornea Syndrome, in which a person may experience tearing or rupturing of the cornea even after minor damage. With Brittle Cornea Syndrome, the outer layer of… - Joseph Mariyana: Preserving Vision to Prevent Blindness
Joseph Mariyana was working abroad when a small mishap led to irreparable damage to his eyes. While washing clothes using a chemical named Clorox, a drop of the chemical fell into his left eye. Joseph flew back to Goa and consulted with many doctors in a seemingly futile attempt to find a cure for the… - Bajrang Singh: Curing A Chemical Injury
For a working individual, the safety and health of his or her eyes is incredibly important, especially when one’s work involves any form of manual labour, where having perfect vision becomes paramount. However, due to the dangers involved in working in factories, these same workers often have to deal with a spectrum of different injuries…. - Chandrawati Harijan: Overjoyed to see again
63-year-old Chandrawati Harijan lives in Mahilwar, Lumbini – 15 minutes west of Maya Devi Temple, the exact place where Lord Buddha was born more than 2500 years ago. Her home is a three-room poorly constructed concrete building that she shares with her husband, son, daughter-in-law, and four grandchildren. Her cattle, one buffalo and a calf…