Priscilla (above right) was falling behind in kindergarten because she couldn't see properly. Outside of school, she kept bumping into things and she could hardly see anything around her village at night. Poor Priscilla was embarrassed, shy and awkward.
Her little brother Michael (above left) was having issues, too. His vision was blurry and he was always running into things. Their poor mother feared that both her children would struggle in school forever. She didn't know whether their visual impairments were treatable – and she didn't have any money to pay for help.
Around the world, an estimated 285 million people live with visual impairment. A startling 90 percent of these live in developing countries – countries like Ghana, where Priscilla and Michael live. The good news is that 80 percent of visual impairment can be prevented or cured.
In both Priscilla and Michael's cases, two simple things were needed to restore their sight: an eye exam and a pair of brand-new, custom-fitted prescription eyeglasses. But it wasn't until Operation Eyesight sponsored a vision screening in their village, that their mother learned their visual impairment could be treated. A large part of the problem is that many parents don't know that help is available for their child.
You can help. The first step to fixing this problem is to put your support behind the right to see. And then help spread the word. Every signature we get shows that more and more people believe that every child has the right to see a world free of visual impairment.
Priscilla and Michael are among the lucky ones, and today they both see clearly. Help more children gain access to affordable eye care by taking action now.
