Many of us go through life with 20/20 vision and no need for glasses. But not so for Cecilia.
The 21-year-old lost her vision at a young age. Raised by her single mother near our Mombasa site in Kenya, things took a turn for the worse when she got into an accident and injured her left eye.
Though she was treated at the time, the problem came rearing back when she began reading frequently while in school. With watery eyes and difficulty seeing, this was an immense challenge.
Cecilia was in-and-out of health facilities until she finished school. At one point, she considered dropping out, and going to college didn’t feel possible.
It was then that Cecilia received a gift, in the form of Chalice medical funds.
Cecilia has already had a Chalice sponsor since 2006, “a heaven sent to her”, write site staff. Sponsorship allowed her to stay in school, even with her vision troubles, and she completed secondary education two years ago.
When she needed it, Chalice donors showed up again, and she went to get an eye checkup. There, she discovered her eye was damaged in a way that meant she would need glasses or contacts to see properly.
The site paid the whole cost for her, and from then on, life got better.
She can now go outside when it’s sunny out, isn’t in pain and can go for walks easily. Her self-esteem has been restored, and she even plans to go to college to study nutrition. Now, she wants to give back to those who raised her, and work hard so her family’s life can become more stable.
“She is grateful to Chalice, her sponsor and the Mombasa site for their contribution to her life changing step in her life,” site staff write.
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