Australians changed this man’s life and he won’t forget it

CBM Australia’s annual Miracles campaign raises funds for sight-saving surgeries for people going blind from cataracts in the world’s poorest places.

Thanks to CBM, an international aid organisation, Armon, 27, of the Philippines, was able to access cataract surgery and look forward to a normal life. Photo: CBM/ Kishor Sharma

An artificial lens is a clear round disc that measures about 5.5-6.5mm in diameter. An ophthalmologist can insert it into an eye in as little as 12 minutes and in the world’s poorest countries it can be done for just $33.

It’s essentially just a tiny piece of medical-grade plastic, however, it can have a life-changing impact.

Armon (whose last name has been withheld for privacy reasons) is a 27-year-old man from the Philippines who recently had bilateral cataract surgery. The call-centre worker noticed his vision began blurring after a motorcycle accident, and as his vision deteriorated, he began experiencing worrying symptoms.

“I feel pain whenever light comes through my eyes,” he explained.

The father of two was diagnosed with diabetes, which can be linked to eye health, because high blood sugar levels over time can cause structural changes in the eye, impacting the lens and accelerating cataracts.

As his vision worsened, he began to depend on the people around him. His siblings were providing food and medication, because he was unable to afford them. Circumstances also meant he had to live separately from his heavily pregnant wife and four-year-old son, because they don’t own a house.

“It is difficult for us to be together,” he said. “Because of my condition and because she’s pregnant, she’s not able to care for me and I’m not able to care for her. So that’s why we have to be apart, and I ask my siblings to take care of me instead… I don’t want to be a burden to her.”

But thanks to CBM, an international aid organisation, Armon was able to access cataract surgery.

CBM’s Miracles campaign brought eyesight back to Armon. Photo: CBM/ Kishor Sharma

The procedure took place in December and his surgeon said his sight would be fully restored.

His eyes were young and healthy, and aside from the cataracts, they were in great shape.

The surgery itself is quite straightforward and it can be completed at a hospital, or at a medical eye camp out in the field. However, to people who are living in the world’s poorest countries, it can be out of reach.

A World Health Organisation report on vision estimates that at least 2.2 billion people live with vision impairment or blindness. It also found at least 1 billion of those cases either could have been prevented or are yet to be treated. According to the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), cataracts are one of the leading causes of preventable blindness, affecting about 100 million people worldwide.

Cataracts occur when the eye lens becomes cloudy, preventing people from seeing clearly -- like seeing through a foggy windscreen. Often, patients can only see light and shade, or outlines. If cataracts are left untreated, they can cause permanent blindness. However, the surgery is relatively quick and safe and the new lenses inserted during the procedure typically last a lifetime.

However, the majority of people with cataracts live in developing countries. Even though 90 per cent of vision loss is preventable or treatable, many remain blind because they can’t afford the treatment.

That’s why CBM started the Miracles appeal, an annual fundraiser asking Australians to give the gift of sight-saving surgery for just $33. It’s been running for 11 years and in that time Australian donations have enabled more than 400,000 gifts of sight-saving surgery to people living in the world’s poorest places. It launches on July 27.

“We are asking Australians to show their generosity again this year,” said CBM CEO Jane Edge.

“[The] Miracles appeal gives us the opportunity to help change someone’s life for less than it would cost to go out for a movie or a meal with a friend. For many of us, it’s a small sacrifice, but one that has a huge impact.”

CBM provides eye screening, examination, treatment, and surgeries to hundreds of thousands of people in places like Nepal, Indonesia, and Bangladesh, as well as the Philippines. Its programs focus on strengthening local health systems to ensure sustainable change, improving long-term health outcomes in these countries.

After all, there’s a close link between disability and systemic poverty.

About 18 per cent of the population of the Philippines live below the poverty line, while vision impairment and blindness rank among the country’s top public health concerns. The IPAB estimates 4 million people in the country are currently living with undiagnosed eye issues and that 1.24 million are living with cataracts.

It’s a debilitating condition with a profound impact.

“I’m so very thankful,” Armon told CBM workers after the surgery. “I am so very thankful. I am excited to see my child and my wife. And it’s perfect timing, because I am going to see my second baby.”

He and his wife welcomed their new baby in February.

Now that his sight has been restored, it means a brighter future for the entire family.