Gilbray's journey

Gilbray chatted genially with the doctors, was courteous to the nurses, helped other patients who had less sight than he did, and waited, patiently, for hours. 

Gilbray rarely travels far from his home town of Elliott, one of the most remote towns in the Northern Territory, halfway between Darwin and Alice Springs.

The 1,500 kilometre round trip by bus to Alice Springs, is a long journey for anyone, let alone an elderly man like Gilbray.  

But visiting the Alice was special. This is where, thanks to the support of our donors, and our partners, Gilbray has now had the cataracts removed from his eyes.

Gilbray's dream was to once again take the young men out and teach them how to hunt the traditional way.

Before his operation, he cheerfully told us, "I'll be able to hunt good when I get my eyes fixed up."

I'm profoundly moved every time I hear a story like Gilbray's. It's such a gift to be able to restore a person's eyesight.

Not only do they get their sight back but they are also able to rejoin their communities, and restart their lives.

With his sight restored, Gilbray can now go hunting with his son Michael. And he can be a strong role model and leader to the young men of Elliott. Young men who otherwise might have no-one from whom they can learn the traditional ways - knowledge that preserves their culture and dignity.

Send a gift now to help restore the sight of others like Gilbray, from Indigenous communities in Australia and from countries like Nepal, Cambodia and Kenya.

$25 is enough to help restore sight in some countries. $80 can help buy up to 8 intraocular lenses (IOLs). $150 or $500 will transform even more lives.

The operating theatre was busy on the day of Gilbray's procedure. Eye health workers had come from all over Australia to assist in a week of intensive surgery - one of three each year organised by The Foundation and our partners.

Fred understood that lasting change would only happen hand-in-hand with Indigenous Australians. That's why we always work in close partnership with local organisations and state and territory governments.

This program of intensive eye surgery was conducted in collaboration with the Australian and Northern Territory Governments, the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress, the Anyinginyi Health Aboriginal Corporation and The Eye Foundation.

The goal is to eliminate the large backlog of eye operations.

And it is no small task. The area involved covers more than 1 million square kilometres, making it geographically one of the largest integrated eye health programs in the world.

Gilbray's operation wasn't easy for ophthalmologist Dr Tim Henderson.

Afterwards he told us, "It was quite difficult because he had corneal scarring which makes the central area quite hazy. But the operation went very well, and we managed to get the entire lens clouding out."

Fred was always appalled by the state of Aboriginal health.

He and I first met over 30 years ago and worked together on The Royal Australian College of Ophthalmologists National Trachoma and Eye Health Program (NTEHP) - a program he initiated in Central Australia.

With the support of 80 volunteering ophthalmologists, the program visited 465 communities. We screened more than 100,000 people - 62,000 of them Indigenous Australians. Some 27,000 people were treated for trachoma and more than 1,000 operations were performed, all in the most remote areas of Australia.

I remember, on one occasion, we visited a stock camp and Fred was shocked to find that eight of the 11 Aboriginal men needed some form of eye surgery.

Sadly, things haven't changed enough. Indigenous Australians still live at least 10 years less, on average, than other Australians.

Will you give a generous gift to help prevent and treat blindness in Indigenous communities right here in Australia?

With the help of our supporters, The Foundation is:

• Tackling cataract blindness in remote Indigenous communities. 51 other operations were performed the week Gilbray was there. Seven other intensive eye surgical sessions like this have been conducted in Central Australia since 2007, restoring sight to 416 people.

• Supporting the delivery of optometry services to remote communities in the Top End. The Foundation also facilitates a Low Cost Spectacle Scheme, providing people living in remote areas of the NT access to quality spectacles at a minimal cost.

• Working in more than 55 communities to improve overall health, including supporting aural health and nutrition through market gardens and literacy initiatives.

You can see from this how important it is that we have enough funds to continue and grow this work.

Please make a gift now of $25, $80, $150 or even $500 to help restore sight, dignity and independence to others like Gilbray. 

Gilbray returned to the hospital the day after his operation to have his eye patch removed.

This is when we find out if an operation has worked - if sight has been restored.

Almost immediately after the patch was removed, Gilbray could tell the difference.

"It's a bit bright, but I think I can see even better from this eye than from the other one," he said.

Dr Henderson said, "The impact of cataract surgery is like giving Gilbray his manhood back. He can now pass on all the men's business he'd previously been unable to do".

For any 70 year old man, that's important. For Gilbray it was like being given back his life.

Fred always said that; "Everyone deserves the same opportunities in life."

A gift of $25, $80, $150 or even $500 will help restore, sight, offering opportunity and hope to others like Gilbray.

Please make the most generous gift you can to help keep Fred's work alive and growing.

View the photo slideshow of Gilbray's remarkable journey.

Health facts: Indigenous Australia

Life Expectancy: Indigenous Australians live on average 10 years less than other Australians. Health: Indigenous Australians aged 35-54 years are between 20 and 40 times more likely to die from type 2 diabetes. Eye Health: There is a backlog of patients requiring urgent eye surgery in remote Central Australian communities. Living Conditions: More than 1/3 of Indigenous homes in the NT are over-crowded, increasing the risk of infectious diseases and other health problems. Food: The cost of fresh food in remote communities can be up to 150%-180% more than in cities like Darwin. Bench mark testing in schools has identified that by year 7, less than 1 in 5 children living in remote Indigenous communities can read at the accepted minimum standard.