Help find the Blind
4 year-old Soha had both her eyes removed because they were filled with cancer.
A year before, her mother noticed that she had a white glint inside one eye. A cursory, untrained medical examination missed the subtle indication. One year later, Soha’s mother noticed that the white glow had worsened and now could be detected inside both eyes. Sadly, a second medical evaluation revealed advanced disease. One eye needed to be removed immediately, and an attempt was made to save her other eye with chemotherapy and lasers. Ultimately, doctors were forced to remove Soha’s remaining eye when they noticed the tumor had returned and there was no vision.
After the removal of both eyes, her mother was told that Soha would have to attend blind school, as this was the only way her child would receive an education. Her mother responded incredulously, "You mean this child has a future?"
Neither mother nor child has returned to the hospital since. Soha would have at least one seeing eye had she received a proper red-reflex examination from her doctor early.
THE REALITY
For every blind child in the developed world, there are more than six blind children in India.
Each of these children suffers a lifetime of blindness, reduced well-being and productivity.
That’s an estimated 260,000 blind children in India who in total will live 11.2 million blind-years.
The problem is not a lack of treatment, but a lack of early detection.
The World Health Organization considers the control of childhood blindness in developing countries a global public health priority.
WHAT'S BEING DONE?
The short answer is very little.
India needs an organized community screening to identify children who have little access to medical care, but currently, there is no such program.
OUR MISSION
Our goal is to introduce community- based, primary-care eye screening programs for children from birth in order to identify and treat those at risk at an early age.
With early diagnosis and treatment, we can preserve vision and save lives.
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
Early detection can be as easy as taking a photograph.
Join our team! Volunteer and become a community screener.
Help us find these children and get them the help they deserve.
YOUR COMMITMENT
With only a day and a half of your time, we can train you to be a screener.
This will comprise of:
- 3 hour training session
- Full day of practice at a mock screening camp
- Practice taking photographs in your community at your leisure
Screening camps will be organized throughout the year; we would appreciate your participation in at least four of these camps (full day each)
WITH ONLY 20 OF YOU, WE COULD SCREEN 2500 UNDERPRIVILEGED CHILDREN IN ONE YEAR
CONTACT US:
sushma@ikshafoundation.org
+91 9986388276
