A little boy with a big dream
Seven-year-old Lumnguen, known as Lumi, loves playing with his toy truck and caring for his chickens. But an accident involving a slingshot injured his left eye, causing a cataract to form. As his vision worsened, playing outside became painful and walking to school became dangerous.
Lumi’s condition was discovered during an eye screening at a primary school in Laos. His family worried about the cost of treatment, and without surgery, he risked losing his sight completely.
With support from The Fred Hollows Foundation and the Australian NGO Cooperation Program, Lumi received the cataract surgery he needed at Vientiane Provincial Hospital.
Now, Lumi dreams of riding his bike to school as his sight improves. He also hopes to become a doctor one day.
The doctor who treated him, Dr Visay Chanthavong, knows what it means to have that dream. He became an ophthalmologist and, after training with The Fred Hollows Foundation, now helps people in his community access eye care.
When Dr Visay asked Lumi about his future, the two made a deal: if Lumi becomes a doctor, they will work together.
This Christmas, you can help more children like Lumi get the eye care they need to pursue their dreams.
Too many people are missing out on eye care
In Laos, preventable and treatable vision loss continues to affect people’s lives. Many families face barriers to getting the care they need, particularly in rural communities.
Most blindness is avoidable
More than 93% of blindness in Laos is treatable or preventable.
Distance can put treatment out of reach
Almost 64% of people in Laos live in rural areas, where accessing eye health services can be difficult.
There aren't enough eye specialists
Laos has around four ophthalmologists per million people, highlighting the need to train more eye health professionals and strengthen local services.
Thousands need cataract surgery
An estimated 16,000 people in Laos were identified as needing cataract surgery, with around 6,200 new cases of cataract blindness each year.
Together, we can change the future of eye health in Laos
The Fred Hollows Foundation has worked in Laos since 2008, helping communities access eye care and strengthening the local health services people rely on.
More than 100,000 people have received eye screening, operations and other treatments through this work. Thousands of surgeons, nurses and other health care workers have been trained, and eye health services have been established in 11 provinces, increasing access to care for nearly one million people.
With your support, we can:
- Help children and adults access eye screening, treatment and sight-saving surgery.
- Train local surgeons, nurses and community health workers.
- Strengthen hospitals and community eye health services.
- Help remove barriers that prevent people from receiving care, including the cost and distance of treatment.
Your support is already making a difference
Behind every number is a person who can access care, a family with more options and a community with stronger eye health services. In Laos, during 2025, our work helped:
- Screen 44,604 people for eye conditions.
- Provide 5,811 eye operations and treatments, including 2,828 cataract operations.
- Distribute 7,943 pairs of glasses.
- Train 3,056 people, including 16 surgeons and 2,505 community health workers.
Fred believed everyone deserved the chance to see
Fred Hollows believed that everyone should have access to quality eye care, regardless of where they live or how much money they have.
That belief continues to guide The Fred Hollows Foundation today. In Laos, we work alongside local health professionals and partners to bring eye care closer to the people who need it.
Dr Visay is one of those health professionals. Trained by The Fred Hollows Foundation, he provides eye care to a population of more than 500,000 people through his work at Vientiane Provincial Hospital. He also travels to remote communities to help people who might otherwise miss out on treatment.
When you give this Christmas, you're helping support more than one operation. You're helping build local skills and stronger eye health services so more children, parents and grandparents can access care.
Help continue Fred's vision this Christmas.
