Bringing Light Back into Kausila’s Life
For a long time, life had been slowly slipping out of focus for 62-year-old Kausila Devi Yadav. Living in Ishworpur Municipality, she tried to hide how difficult things had become, but cataracts had changed her days in ways she never expected.
She could no longer recognize faces unless people stood very close. Cooking meant guessing where things were placed. Walking around her own yard felt risky because she often missed steps and bumped into objects she could not see clearly. Even pouring a glass of water required careful effort.
She accepted these challenges in her world, trying to manage with her fading vision. But deep inside, she worried about losing her independence and becoming a burden on her family.
One afternoon, she heard a public announcement in her community about a three day Outreach Microsurgical Eye Clinics screening camp being conducted in Ishworpur Municipality of Sarlahi District by Bharatpur Eye Hospital with support from Cure Blindness Project.
The news felt like a small opening in a dark room. With the help of a family member, she went to the camp early the next morning, hoping for answers but also afraid of what the doctors might say.
During her checkup, the doctors confirmed that cataracts had blocked her vision in both eyes. They advised her to undergo surgery on her left eye first and asked her to come to the Ishworpur Surgical Centre the following week. Kausila wanted to speak with her family before deciding. She wanted their support, and she needed the courage to take that step.
After discussing it at home, she decided she could no longer live in fear of losing the world around her. On the scheduled morning, she reached the surgical centre right at eight. The team guided her through each step with patience. Her surgery was completed smoothly, though she still felt anxious about the outcome.
The next day, when her eye patch was removed, she held her breath. As the soft morning light reached her eye, the world opened up again. She could see the lines on a face, the colors on a wall, and the full shape of the person standing beside her. Her smile grew wide, filled with relief and gratitude. It felt as if someone had lifted a curtain she thought would never rise again.
With her vision restored in one eye, her days have changed. She no longer fears walking outside. She can cook without spilling. She can recognize her loved ones from a distance. Most importantly, she feels independent again.
Today, she speaks to neighbors and relatives who are silently living with the same fear she once carried. She shares her experience and encourages them to visit the Ishworpur Surgical Eye Centre. Her story reminds people around her that cataract blindness can be treated and that hope often begins with one brave decision.
