A Caregiver’s Journey: A Sister’s Love Restores Her Brother’s Sight
Three years ago, Patience Davor’s life changed forever when she received a heart-wrenching call from her brother, Paul, in the middle of the night.
Living in Ghana’s Volta Region, Patience was a farmer and trader, working tirelessly to support her family. Her brother Paul, a driver for a reputable company in Greater Accra, was the family’s beacon of success, providing for his wife and four children.
“With the little money I made, I was able to care for my immediate family and still support those back home,” Paul once shared with pride.
But that night, everything fell apart. Paul, who had been ignoring discomfort in his right eye, woke to use the washroom and discovered he could no longer see. Completely blind and in shock, he turned to Patience, unable to face telling his wife and children. “I just started weeping,” Patience recalls, her voice heavy with the memory. “I wasn’t there to help my brother.” She quickly contacted his wife to assist him, but the family’s struggles were only beginning.
Paul’s blindness led to the loss of his job, and soon after, his wife left him, overwhelmed by the sudden change. Patience, without hesitation, left her livelihood behind in the Volta Region and moved to Accra to care for her brother. The weight of supporting Paul and his children fell on her shoulders, and hope seemed distant.
Then, a glimmer of possibility emerged. Patience learned about the National Cataract Outreach Program (NCOP), supported by Cure Blindness Project, which was holding an outreach in Tema, near Accra. With renewed determination, she brought Paul to the site, only to face heartbreak again—it was the last day of the outreach, and they were too late. “I just started weeping out loud,” Patience says. “Everyone was looking at me, but I didn’t care.”
Moved by their desperation, the NCOP team shared news of another outreach in Koforidua, three hours away. Refusing to give up, Patience embarked on the journey with Paul, clinging to the hope of restoring his sight. The next day, after a successful bilateral cataract surgery, the moment of truth arrived. As the ophthalmologist removed the patches from Paul’s eyes, Patience stood by, holding her breath. When his eyes were cleaned, Paul looked at his sister, smiled, and called her name in their local dialect.
Patience broke down in tears—this time, tears of joy. “Thank you so much, Cure Blindness Project and the entire team, for restoring my brother’s sight,” she said, her gratitude boundless. “I look forward to him taking care of himself and working again.”
Patience’s unwavering love and sacrifice gave Paul a second chance at life. Her story is a testament to the power of family. Cure Blindness Project knows that restoring life helps not only the patient but also the caregiver. With Paul’s sight restored, Patience can also return to her life as a farmer and trader.
