Eye Doctor

Last week we were able to take a small group of  Phokeng orphans to see an eye doctor. Lynette, one of the YWAM team members that we work with, arranged for her eye doctor to do vision exams for the orphaned kids we work with.

I’m sure that none of these kids have ever had their vision tested.  We are finding out that many of their eyes have not developed properly.  Their eyes aren’t following moving objects properly and we need to help them exercise their eyes.  Several of the kids will need glasses, which will be about $100 per child.

We found that one of the kids has catastrophic damage to his left eye because of a thorn that he got in his eye a few years ago.  The doctor said that he is essentially blind in his left eye.  No one has ever know, this little boy has just been functioning through life.  The eye doctor referred us to a local surgeon that might possibly do the surgery for free, hopefully they’ll be able help restore the sight in his left eye.

 Sarah, from YWAM, helped with some of the vision testing.

Many of us take our vision for granted.  Usually it’s as simple as going to the eye doctor and paying for glasses.   These kids have never even had the option of going to the eye doctor.  They’ve just adapted to their poor vision.  Many of them have struggled in school because they can’t see the chalkboard or their eyes can’t focus on what’s happening.  We know that correcting their vision will be life changing for these kids.