Nepal 2013

In 2013 Team Operation Restore Vision travelled to Lower Mustana, Nepal where they visited the village of Thukche. In a community with no infrastructure nor social care, “blindness is practically a death sentence.” A 47 year old woman named Sunam Khadro is a perfect example of this.

Sunam has not been able to see properly for around 9 years. “One side is completely dark and I can’t see anything.” Sunam suffers from a mature white cataract. We have never seen anything like it. We are not even able to see the retina behind it.

Sunam cannot do anything anymore. “I cannot work in the fields. My brother has to work in the fields alone.” Not being able to work has caused Sunam great distress as she has no way to provide for herself anymore. “I will be very happy if I can see again.”

We offered Sunam surgery the next day. The surgery went extremely well. Our team was able to remove the cataract in a complete entity. Sunam’s recovery was astonishing. Within days she was able to perform daily functions. “Now that I can see I will be able to feed myself. I am very happy, thank you.”

From May 15-29, 2013, the Operation Restore Vision team members provided free eye examinations, eyeglasses, and sight-restoring surgeries to an estimated 700 villagers in the remote Mustang region of Nepal.  This is their story as told by documentary filmmaker Daniel A. Byers of Skyship Films