I
am Amit, studying in X Std in
Khalsa Boys School, Dev Nagar.
I’ve just given my board
exams and am hoping to come out
with a distinction.
Let me tell you friends, I faced
problems in my studies because
I was not able to see clearly
from the blackboard and I often
used to copy from my friends –
copy the mistakes they often did.
This really made me unhappy but
I was really helpless. It seemed
my dream to become a doctor would
always remain a dream. Often I
reached late in school as I used
to miss my bus owing to the fact
that I could never make out the
number of the bus before it passes
me off.
I told my mother
but she didn’t take my words
that seriously. My mother who
is a beautician and works hard
to earn the living for my grandmother,
sister and myself is overburdened
with responsibilities, as my father
expired in 1998 in an accident.
It was through one of the eye
screening camps held By Dr Shroff’s
Charity Eye Hospital at our school
that I was asked to visit the
hospital at Daryaganj for further
examination. I went there and
the doctors examined me and gave
me prescription.
I got spectacles… Yes this
simple device really made a difference
in my life…I feel my dreams
have got a new direction.
Now I am so happy. No more mistakes
in copying, always on time in
school. Do you want to know how,
how it became possible?
Thanks to Dr Shroff’s Charity
Eye Hospital, they helped me through
the vision-screening program.
Now I’m sharing the responsibilities
of my mother by working on Sundays
in book market near Daryaganj.
Before getting spectacles it was
difficult for me to do this because
I couldn’t identify the
small writings in the book cover
in standing position. But now
I can clearly make it out. I opted
this because reading is my favorite
hobby and I’m getting a
fairly good chance to increase
my knowledge level without spending
additional money.
Now I am wearing spectacles and
with this small device my world
is really beautiful just like
my dreams.
Case
story of little Khushi
The
parents of 5 months old Khushi
were suddenly worried when one
morning they found her right eye
closed and filled with pus. They
immediately visited their doctor,
who referred the child to a hospital
where the child was admitted for
12 days. The treatment started
and slowly the parents noticed
that the cornea of the child has
fully changed from black to white.
For some time the treatment continued,
but then the doctors declared,
that nothing could be done with
the child’s eye and stopped
medication suggesting to the parents
that the child is very small and
that they should now consult a
doctor only when
the
child turns 12. Grieved with the
child’s state, the mother
went to another hospital with
a little hope and was then referred
to Dr Shroff’s Charity Eye
Hospital. With an annual income
of Rs 84, 000, the parents were
now getting totally hopeless.
The child was brought to Dr Shroff’s
Charity Eye Hospital in February,
and was advised. Corneal transplantation
(Penetrating Keratoplasty). Corneal
transplant is an operation in
which abnormal or deceased cornea
is replaced by donor corneal tissue
and sutured.
With the Transplantation
prescribed, thus was added one
more patient to the national wait
list of seeking corneal transplantation.
However, Khushi was lucky enough
that her chance came almost immediately
and she was called for the operation
on Tuesday, the 23rd of May. The
operation was successful.
But yes, the deed has brought
a colorful and brightening change,
not just to 11 months old Khushi
but to her parents too, who were
worried about their daughter,
totally hopeless and afraid of
the consequences they’ll
have to face once their
daughter goes
to school, then college and then
when she’ll be in the age
to get married.
“There
is no lovelier way to thank God
for your sight than by giving
a helping hand to those in the
dark” said
Helen Keller.
11 months old Khushi, the second
child in the family of Radhe Shyam
(A designer in a tile manufacturing
company) and mother Shalu, an
ordinary housewife could not see,
but now she can, like you and
me. And the credit of course goes
to the noble gesture someone showed
by donating eyes.
When Khushi’s parents came
to the hospital, they were totally
hopeless, but now one can see
the satisfaction on their face.
And to add to our satisfaction,
we have two reasons, firstly,
the child and her family are happy
and the second and the most appreciable
one, Khushi’s mother now
wants to spread the word in society
encouraging eye donation.
LET
SOMEONE SEE THIS BEAUTIFUL WORLD,
THRU’ YOUR EYES!
Case
story of Saif Ali from RE Project
Saif
was 6 months old when his mother
Sakiba first noticed that he didn’t
respond to light. He never gave
any expressions by seeing anyone
or anything around him. He reacted
only if someone touched him or
made any sound. This worried Sakiba.
Saif’s family belongs to
Bihar. His father, Ahsan Alam
is a farmer. When Sakiba told
her family about the problem Saif
was facing which was not improving
with time, they took it lightly
and were of the opinion that Saif
would be all right in few years.
But, Sakiba wanted to show the
child to a doctor and came to
her parents’ home at Delhi,
to get her child treated. But
the poor financial condition of
Saif’s Grand parents didn’t
let her to do so.
One day Sakiba heard of an eye
camp for children being organized
by Dr Shroff’s Charity Eye
Hospital in association with an
NGO called Chetanalaya in Bhalaswa
village of North Delhi. This proved
to be a turning point in Saif’s
life.
Optometrist at the camp examined
Saif and referred him to the hospital
for further checkup and treatment
plan. Same evening Sakiba brought
the child to SCEH and to her surprise;
he was diagnosed to have cataract
and corneal opacity in both eyes.
The doctors at SCEH advised surgery.
After 2 months of surgery SCEH
team members visited Saif at his
house, where they found him playing
with his brother and friends.
Now, Saif is one and a half year
old and Sakiba is pleased and
in high spirits to see her son
play like other children of his
age. She feels so delighted to
see his son’s hands stretched
towards her every time she passes
by, and asks for his toys and
goes after them. He identifies
his brother and father and other
family members. Now the child
is able to follow the light. The
whole family is satisfied with
the treatment and support extended
through this project.
To help Saif we received support
from local community partner Chetanalaya
in reaching out to this particular
child. The surgery was sponsored
by ORBIS International. We thank
our partners for their generous
support to bring light into the
life of many such children, without
whom, it would not have been possible
for us to help them.
Case
story of Mayank Sharma
Mayank
Sharma, a 10-year old, intelligent,
enthusiastic and restless youngster
suddenly found his vision reducing
drastically. He was advised to
shift to a blind school. At this
stage, Mayank’s mother came
to VERC at SCEH and shared her
problem.
At VERC, Mayank learned JAWS,
a special software that verbalizes
every keystroke on a computer.
This enabled him to work independently.
Counselors interacted with the
school authorities to convince
them that Mayank could perform
like any other child of his age.
Mayank moved on to class V at
a new school from the primary
school at Daryaganj and the school
allowed him to give his tests
directly on the computer. Now
he is all the more delighted that
he is 100% independent and does
not even require a writer now.
Mayank went on to win the Best
Mathematician Crown and
was declared as one of the “Seven
Jewels In The Crown Of 2002-03”.
Case
story of Kanchan & Priya
Kanchan & Priya � sisters, aged 8 & 4 years
respectively, were three times more unlucky than
all the other children living around them, till Dr
Shroff�s Charity Eye Hospital intervened and
changed their lives for ever ! They were born to a
poor couple, living in a shabby jhuggi ; they were
born with Congenital , bilateral Cataract; and after
the birth of Priya, they lost their mother.
Under these circumstances, Raju was forced to marry again as there was no
one to look after them, as he had to be out of the house for his livelihood. By
the time Kanchan (eldest daughter) was eight years old, the couple had got
three more children (that too girls, as they were desperately trying to get a
son); undoubtedly theirs was a picture of abject misery.
Cataract in both their eyes had rendered them virtually blind. They were not
attending school as they were unable to study, no one played with them for
obvious reasons; in fact other children made fun of them as by now they had
developed major squint problem. Their father was helpless as he was a autorickshaw
driver, and could barely feed a family of six dependants. ��What will
become of my daughters; who will marry poor, blind girls; and what will
happen to them after my death?�� were some of the questions that gave him
many a sleepless nights.
Then Raju heard about Sceh�s Community Outreach Camp held in Shakarpur
slum area, in West Delhi, and brought both Kanchan and Priya for a check-up.
When SCEH team informed him, that they could still be saved from becoming
completely blind and that too, without any charges, his joy was palpable. Over
a period of one year�s treatment at SCEH both the girls were operated for
both the eyes, squint was corrected and today they have been saved of so
many blind years. They are picking up reading & writing skills with the help of
a home-tutor, and soon they will be admitted into a proper school.
Case
story of Lucky
Lucky, aged four months old, is today a chirpy little
bundle of joy for her parents and all those who come
in contact with her. Her bright big eyes light up and a
gregarious chuckle fills the room, whenever she
makes an eye contact with her mother! She came to
SCEH when she was nine days old, and today is
four-month old bubbly little angel!
But it would be simply impossible for any one to visualize the future of this girl,
had she lost complete vision in both her eyes due to Congenital Glaucoma- a
condition that should be treated as soon as possible. Yes, it could have been
the case, and Lucky would not have been so lucky as her name means, if her
parents had not brought her to SCEH for a timely intervention by the doctors.
Alam, Lucky�s brother, who is now four years old, was not as lucky as his
sister. He too was born with congenital Glaucoma. He was brought to the
Kanchan & Priya � sisters, aged 8 & 4 years
respectively, were three times more unlucky than
all the other children living around them, till Dr
Shroff�s Charity Eye Hospital intervened and
changed their lives for ever ! They were born to a
poor couple, living in a shabby jhuggi ; they were
born with Congenital , bilateral Cataract; and after
the birth of Priya, they lost their mother.
Lucky, aged four months old, is today a chirpy little
bundle of joy for her parents and all those who come
in contact with her. Her bright big eyes light up and a
gregarious chuckle fills the room, whenever she
makes an eye contact with her mother! She came to
SCEH when she was nine days old, and today is
four-month old bubbly little angel!
hospital when he was three years old, when his parents lost all hope, after
trying all superstitious methods advocated by local priests & other faith
healers, in their hometown in West Bengal. SCEH doctors could not do much
for him as he was nearly blinded by his condition, when he was brought in
So when Lucky was born, her mother was alert, and she noticed that her eyes
were hazy and white, just like her son�s, at the time of birth. This time she
acted fast, and reached SCEH when Lucky was only nine days old. In the
coming three months, she underwent three surgeries, performed by our
Glaucoma Expert. Today she is rid of her blinding disability and her gurgling
laughter fills us with a sense of pride and deep satisfaction.
Case
story of Brij Raj Singh
Brij Raj Singh- came to SCEH for a Cataract
surgery and went back with a pacemaker fitted into
his chest! Seventy-five years old Brij Raj, belonging
to District Shahjanpur, was living a dejected and
lonely life, as age was not his side and Cataract
had nearly blinded him in both eyes. His children
and grand children had no tome for him, having
lost his wife a decade back, his only interaction
with the daughter in laws was to ask for meals
when he could no longer bear the pangs of hunger.
When after his eye examination (at the eye camp at his village), SCEH team
informed him that he could be operated for Cataract and his functional vision
could be restored, his joy was palpable With his heart full of hope to be able to
see again and live a much more dignified life, he resolved to undertake a ten
hour bus journey to Delhi, oblivious of the fact that he had a much bigger
physical condition than his eyes. The long and arduous journey took it�s toll,
and the mandatory pre-surgery physical examination by the hospital�s
physician, & ECG results, made it clear that Brij Raj had developed Complete
Heart Block (CHB) with his pulse recorded at 30-34 per minute. It became
absolutely imperative to shift Brij Raj to the ICU of a Cardiac Hospital. The
hospital management did not waste any time and got him admitted to a nearby
Cardiac hospital, where he was put on a pacemaker machine. The
attending doctors advised that a permanent pacemaker be fitted into his chest
or he would not survive the journey home. By now his sons had also arrived
from the village, but when they heard the cost of the procedure, they pleaded
that they were very poor and could not afford it.
It was a very difficult situation for the management of SCEH, to provide for,
and that too such a high cost for a medical intervention, which was not
essentially under their purview. Brij Raj�s sons were ready to take him home,
without bothering about the consequences, but SCEH could not look the other
way. On humanitarian grounds, SCEH decided to go ahead and get him fitted
with the pacemaker, without bothering about the cost of the intervention at
that time.
I
am Amit, studying in X Std in
Khalsa Boys School, Dev Nagar.
I’ve just given my board
exams and am hoping to come out
with a distinction. 
The
parents of 5 months old Khushi
were suddenly worried when one
morning they found her right eye
closed and filled with pus. They
immediately visited their doctor,
who referred the child to a hospital
where the child was admitted for
12 days. The treatment started
and slowly the parents noticed
that the cornea of the child has
fully changed from black to white.
the
child turns 12. Grieved with the
child’s state, the mother
went to another hospital with
a little hope and was then referred
to Dr Shroff’s Charity Eye
Hospital. With an annual income
of Rs 84, 000, the parents were
now getting totally hopeless.
Saif
was 6 months old when his mother
Sakiba first noticed that he didn’t
respond to light. He never gave
any expressions by seeing anyone
or anything around him. He reacted
only if someone touched him or
made any sound. This worried Sakiba.
Mayank
Sharma, a 10-year old, intelligent,
enthusiastic and restless youngster
suddenly found his vision reducing
drastically. He was advised to
shift to a blind school. At this
stage, Mayank’s mother came
to VERC at SCEH and shared her
problem.
Kanchan & Priya � sisters, aged 8 & 4 years
respectively, were three times more unlucky than
all the other children living around them, till Dr
Shroff�s Charity Eye Hospital intervened and
changed their lives for ever ! They were born to a
poor couple, living in a shabby jhuggi ; they were
born with Congenital , bilateral Cataract; and after
the birth of Priya, they lost their mother.
Lucky, aged four months old, is today a chirpy little
bundle of joy for her parents and all those who come
in contact with her. Her bright big eyes light up and a
gregarious chuckle fills the room, whenever she
makes an eye contact with her mother! She came to
SCEH when she was nine days old, and today is
four-month old bubbly little angel!
Brij Raj Singh- came to SCEH for a Cataract
surgery and went back with a pacemaker fitted into
his chest! Seventy-five years old Brij Raj, belonging
to District Shahjanpur, was living a dejected and
lonely life, as age was not his side and Cataract
had nearly blinded him in both eyes. His children
and grand children had no tome for him, having
lost his wife a decade back, his only interaction
with the daughter in laws was to ask for meals
when he could no longer bear the pangs of hunger.