As I celebrate my 25th year volunteering as an eye surgeon in Southeast Asia. I am delighted to share photos and stories about the vision challenges and the people and cultures of India, Nepal, Cambodia, Myanmar, Bangladesh, and Vietnam.  - Dr. Gary Barth

The setting:  Geta Eye Hospital grounds in Southwest Nepal

 

One morning, when we were not doing surgery, I ventured forth with my camera to try to capture the lives of the hundreds of patients and family members sleeping and staying in the enclosed courtyard around the charity eye hospital.

 

The next seven photos tell a grim tale and are not for the faint of heart to see.

 

Emerging from the guest house, I photographed a young girl leading an apparently blind woman of unknown age. The woman was “deposited” on the curb alone, and the young girl went inside. 

 

Then, a crawling toddler stole her walking stick. 

 

Without removing her head covering, she reached back, located the stick, and proceeded to sit on it- to the distress of the toddler.
 

I became more intrigued and sought out an interpreter.

 

Here is a summary: 

She sustained an agricultural injury to her right eye in rural India. Because eye care isn’t affordable in India, she crossed into Nepal with her son and granddaughter to get care at Geta Eye Hospital. 

 

She had a serious corneal infection in the right eye and was undergoing medical treatment. They ran out of money so a few days ago the son returned to his village in India to get more.

 

She and the granddaughter had not eaten anything in a few days. 

 

Here is what she looked like when she pulled back the head scarf.

Om, my translator, read her ocular chart to me, which is happily written in English. Amazingly, she is only 50 years old but looks much older. Her left eye is perhaps intact but she will need cataract surgery when the infection in the other eye clears. 

We gave her money for food to tide her over until her son returned from India. She had no idea of his timeline. She was alone in Nepal with a granddaughter who could not contact her family. 

 

Covering her head with the scarf, she continued sitting alone on the walking stick.