Michael KellyOver the past number of weeks, The Irish Catholic has been running a campaign with our charity partner Sightsavers. This week marks the end of this campaign – the first time that The Irish Catholic has worked with a charity partner on an appeal.
Even though I’ve worn eyeglasses since I was a child, I’ve always taken my eyesight for granted.
I say I’ve always taken my eyesight for granted. That came to a shuddering halt when I was diagnosed with glaucoma two years ago. Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness and there is no cure and vision lost cannot be restored.
There are no symptoms – my glaucoma was detected during a routine medical check-up and I was quickly prescribed with medication. With regular check-ups and assiduous adherence to my medication regime, my condition will not deteriorate and further eyesight loss – while possible – is unlikely.
Not everyone is so lucky. Thirty-nine million people in the world are blind, yet 80% of blindness is preventable or curable. Some 18 million people worldwide are needlessly blind due to cataracts, yet a straightforward operation could give them back their sight.
Ninety percent of people who are blind live in the world’s poorest countries and treatments available for blindness are among the most successful and cost effective of all health interventions.
Results
I saw this first-hand in Tanzania last year where Sightsavers were providing a simple operation with transformative results. Literally, as a result of the surgery, the blind could see and a whole world of possibilities opened up.
This is why we were delighted to partner with Sightsavers, and I would like to say a heartfelt ‘thank you’ to readers of the Irish Catholic who contributed a marvellous €15,550.00 to the appeal over the last few weeks. It will make a world of difference.