Special report by Brian Doolan, CEO
More than anything, Yim Noang longed to see the face of her granddaughter, Sun Doaun. Of all her grandchildren, it was Sun who most often missed school to lead her around their village and watch out for her.

A burden on her family

Yim Noang had been blind for five years.

"My dearest wish is to see my grandchildren," she said.

Yim lives with her daughter and grandchildren in the poorest province of Cambodia – Prey Veng. She felt like a burden.

Her daughter said she wasn’t, but Yim insisted it was true.

Yim’s daughter, who supports the whole family, earns only 80 cents a day.

Yim had heard it was possible to get surgery to restore sight, but she knew an operation would cost money “and this will be a greater burden on my family".

"I am already unable to contribute,” said Yim, “so this makes me very sad."

When Yim was told that she could get the cataract surgery she needed for free, she was overwhelmed.

All she had to do was find the cost of the transport to Neak Leoung, a nearby town, where there is a brand new eye clinic built with the help of The Fred Hollows Foundation.

Dr Imtov, her doctor, was sent by The Foundation to what is now the Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology in Nepal in 2002 to complete a six week training course in a special sutureless surgical technique that makes it simple, quick and affordable to perform large numbers of cataract operations.

In Yim’s case, Dr Imtov discovered that the cataract was too large for sutureless surgery.

The operation was completed and 24 hours later the big moment arrived – Yim's protective eye patch was removed.

She blinked several times. Her eye will take a few days to heal before the full impact can be seen.

"Everything is different," she exclaimed. "I can see the folders, the nurse. I am very happy. I have been re-born."

We all laughed as we noticed one of the first things she did was look in the mirror and fluff her hair.

As Yim got used to her restored sight, the nurse tested her vision. Already Yim could see five metres. It was not perfect, but it will get better.

Helping dreams come true

"The happiest thing is that I can see my grandchildren's faces,” she said beaming. “This is what I have been looking forward to, so my dream comes true today."

We asked her what she would like to do now she can see again.

"I will do some household work. I can plant some vegetables, I can find the grass for the cows, and I can cook," she told us. "Helping with those jobs...that will be much help for the family."

Before I left Yim told me, "I will never forget your team and the doctors. This has not only helped me but also my grandchildren, so they can go back to school like the other children."

Fred’s dream was to restore sight and life to all those who are needlessly blind.

We share this dream, and with the help of our supporters we make it come true.