Stellar
From Darkness to Light in only 12 minutes!
Please send your gift today to give the Miracle of Sight to people, like Stellar, in the world’s poorest places.
“...I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.” – Isaiah 42:16
Stellar is in her eighties, and even in her advancing years, she loves to be productive – toiling on rough ground in remote eastern Zimbabwe, growing maize for her family to provide a little income. Hard, endless work, but Stellar loves being useful and productive.
But being useful and productive hasn’t always been possible for Stellar due to her eyes misting over with blinding cataracts – until she could no longer even see the food on her plate.
For just $35 you can help give people, like Stellar, the Miracle of Sight. Please will you prayerfully consider sending a gift today so more people with avoidable blindness can receive the cataract surgery they urgently need. In just 12 minutes, cataract surgery can turn someone’s darkness into light, thanks to generous people like you.
Cataracts sometimes grow slowly. But not for Stellar. The veil over her eyes fell quickly, until even by peering closely, she could no longer work. “It was hard to tell the weeds from the maize plant,” she laments.
Her independence faded quickly, just like her sight. She could no longer grow her own food or earn an income. Her blindness even made it too dangerous to walk alone. If she fell, there was no medical care to help with broken bones or wounds that could bring life-threatening infection.
Stellar had no choice but to move in with her relatives. They fed her, bathed her, guided her to walk, and even helped her to use the bathroom. It saddened Stellar that she needed more care than even the youngest child.
The family didn’t mind though. They love Stellar, and wanted to help her, but her need for constant care took them away from their own economic needs, cutting into their working hours. This is how disabilities, like blindness from cataracts, make poverty even worse for families in the world’s poorest places.
“I cannot do anything for myself,” she grieved. “I used to fetch water. I used to sell my garden produce. I can’t do it anymore. I miss it. I spend the day just sitting.”
This is heart-breaking compared with the situation here in New Zealand. If cataracts steal our sight, we may have to wait a while, but there is always the hope of surgery and sight.
Sitting in the misery of near-total sight loss, Stellar had no idea surgery was even possible. And even if she did know, she could never afford to pay for it.
It is so humbling and inspiring that people like you – wonderfully generous cbm supporters – will help restore the lives of people, like Stellar, so they can regain their independent, productive lives again. Your gift will help give the Miracle of Sight through cataract surgery.
Because of generosity like yours, a cbm-funded field worker found Stellar in her remote village and shared some good news that seemed impossible:
“Stellar, in just 12 minutes of gold standard sight-saving surgery, provided for you free of charge by faithful and kind-hearted people, your days of darkness will end.”
Stellar was beside herself with astonishment. “I will be able to see again! I am overjoyed! I did not know or think that my condition could be cured!”
“Yes it can, Stellar – with help from generous people living in a far off country.”
To receive her sight, Stellar bravely got on a bus and spent an entire day travelling to the capital city. Blind and all alone, because none of her relatives could afford to travel with her.
Fortunately, Stellar had an adult son living in the city. He had no idea how bad her eyes had become. As you can imagine, independent Stellar kept her troubles to herself, so as not to worry her son. After all, what could he do?
Without help from kind and caring people like you, it is deeply challenging for this family or their community to have the means to restore Stellar’s sight.
When Stellar arrived in the city her son, Moses, was shocked by her blindness. “It hurts very much to see how she needs help with the smallest things, even eating,” he said.
His wife, Sarudzai, did her best to help her mother-in-law. “I hold her hand, especially on stairs. She needs help with walking, because she uses her hands to feel her way, and she can bump into walls. I clean up after her in the bathroom, and help get her food.” This level of care was so hard on Stellar. For 80 years she had worked for others and never made a fuss.
But thanks to generous people like you, it was Stellar’s time to be cared for – at the cbm-funded Norton Eye Clinic in Harare, Zimbabwe.
After having her cataracts assessed and discussing her treatment plan, Stellar was welcomed into the operating theatre and received a local anaesthetic. (A child’s surgery costs more as they need a general anaesthetic. This is why a child’s Miracle of Sight operation is $230 rather than $35 – still incredibly good value for a lifetime of eyesight!)
In just 12 life-changing minutes, Stellar’s surgeon skillfully removed the clouded lenses from Stellar’s eyes. They brought her so much darkness and grief. They are quickly replaced by remarkable new lenses – absolutely clear, bright and sparkling, just like Stellar’s future.
Protective pads are placed over Stellar’s eyes for a night of healing.
“I just pray God has intervened,” she said, mustering faith, “I believe my eyes will work! I hope to have both eyes functioning again.”
Morning finally comes and her patches are removed. “Everything looks so clear!” Stellar cried out in happiness. The surgeon asked, “How many fingers am I raising?” “Four!” Stellar happily replied. “Thank God!”
Thank you for being willing to be part of incredible blessings like this – and for being willing to support cbm-funded eye clinics, hospitals and high-quality care in the world’s poorest places.
There are still so many people like Stellar – adults and children alike – trapped in the avoidable darkness of cataract blindness. Please help set them free today, by sending your wonderful gift for the Miracle of Sight.
Your gift will help fund the cost of cataract surgery for adults, like Stellar, so they can return to productive lives, and will help fund the extra costs of cataract surgery for children, including general anaesthetic, so they can have hope for the future. It will also help fund other essential eye health services, including glasses for people whose sight has been damaged by years of cataracts.
Stellar is putting her new sight to very good use now that she has returned to her village. So will everyone who is blessed with this Miracle of Sight. Thank you for sending your gift today, to help them on their 12-minute journey from the darkness of cataract blindness to the light of life.
Cataracts plunged Stellar’s world into darkness, stealing her independence and livelihood. But people like you have helped her from darkness to light – in just 12 minutes! That is the Miracle of Sight. Please share this blessing today to help more people like Stellar, by sending your generous gift for cataract surgery in the world’s poorest places. Thank you for your kind and caring heart!
