First She Lost Her Husband. Then, Her Eyesight.
Bekelech Gerum first lost her husband. Three years ago, she lost her sight.
Her six children worked together to care for their widowed mother. "My younger brother Endale Besha lives with Mom, and he takes care of her," Bekelech’s daughter Mesay explains. "When Mom lost her sight, she also wasn't able to walk. We took her to a private hospital in Harar. The doctor said it was due to her age. We returned home feeling hopeless."
Bekelech’s limited mobility and her failing eyesight made it difficult to continue to do the things she enjoyed. "She loved to go to church before (losing her sight), but she couldn't anymore,” Mesay says. Day after day, her mother sat in her chair, her depression and blindness sending her into total darkness.
“Mom didn’t believe us after she became blind. She asked where she was and when we answered she thought we were lying.”
A neighbor told the family about the Cure Blindness Project outreach in partnership with Bisidimo Hospital. “So I brought Mom here to see if it could help," Mesay says hopefully.
Mesay prayed for a miracle for her mother who had lived a life of faith and unwavering devotion. And through the generosity of Cure Blindness Project donors and the doctors, her prayers were answered.
See Bekelech’s reaction after her bandages are removed following her cataract surgery.
With sight restored, she thanked God and the doctors, then remembering that it was Medhanialem, a special day for the Orthodox Church, she exclaimed, "I want to go to church right now!" Bekelech's happiness was infectious.
Mesay, overcome with relief and gratitude, smiled broadly. "Thank you! You've made life easier for my family and me. We are so grateful."
