No one should ever have to live with avoidable blindness, no matter how old they are, where they live, or how much money they have. This was the principle that Fred Hollows followed his entire life and left for us to carry on.
But for a baby like Shanice, born in rural Kenya with cataract in both eyes, the stakes are especially high. She was facing an entire lifetime of permanent blindness.
Because of the tenacity of her loving parents, the skill of a surgeon trained by The Fred Hollows Foundation, and people like you who gave us the resources to reach her, Shanice’s story has a happy ending.
However, there are still an estimated 1.4 million children worldwide who are blind, half of whom have eye conditions that are treatable or preventable. In Kenya alone, where Shanice lives with her parents, there are as many as 16,000 children who are blind.
👉🏻 Donate HKD150 to help newborn blind babies regain their sight. Your support could give her 70 or even 80 years of vision, so she doesn’t have to live in darkness from childhood.
Would not let any chance to save her sight slip by.
Despite all of the odds against them, Milly was determined. She found a local doctor who said there were people who could help – The Fred Hollows Foundation – and that Shanice could receive surgery at Sabatia Eye Hospital, our partners in Kenya.
Sabatia is about four hours’ drive from their home, a trip Milly had to make with her baby girl.
Milly and William’s apprehension was shared by Dr Ernest Ollando, a paediatric eye surgeon.
“For every surgery, there is that element of caution because if something goes wrong and you don’t give the child the best vision, they are going to be blind for the rest of their life, which could be 70, 80, 90 years,” he said. “So, for small children it’s an additional responsibility to do the best surgery you can. I’m very happy with the outcome, the surgery in both eyes went very well.”
But one thing is certain: having surgery is crucial.
“To help someone to see is a tremendous feeling.”
DR OLLANDO KNEW THAT IF HE DIDN’T OPERATE ON SHANICE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, SHE WAS AT RISK OF BEING BLIND FOREVER.
Without early intervention, her brain would not recognise the role of eyes in being able to see and even if she received surgery later she would likely always struggle to see.
Thankfully, Shanice received surgery by the time she was nine months old. Milly was overcome with emotion as her little girl was carried into the surgery - pacing the hospital’s halls and crying throughout the hour-long operation, Milly’s fear was understandable. The experienced staff comforted and reassured her that Shanice was in good hands.
The day after surgery, the recovery room was filled with Shanice’s cries as the patches were removed from her eyes. Then, there was silence as this little girl, just nine months old, saw the world – and her mother – for the first time.
Dr Ollando couldn’t contain his excitement and said there was no better feeling than making a difference in a child’s life. Just as Fred used to say: “To help someone to see is a tremendous feeling.”
HELP SOMEONE ELSE LIKE SHANICE. PLEASE DONATE TODAY. THE RACE AGAINST TIME FOR CHILDREN LIKE SHANICE.
A year after Shanice’s surgery, The Foundation returned to her remote village in western Kenya. We found a bright, joyful and animated girl, playing in her backyard, running after chickens and discovering the world around her. How different Shanice was, now that she could see and learn. Now at two years’ old, she can look forward to school and she will never remember a life without vision.
There are an estimated 16,000 children in Kenya who are blind, and we are racing against time to reach them and so many others around the world. Without surgery these children face a lifetime of difficulties - but it doesn’t have to be that way. We are relying on your incredible support to carry on the work Fred started.
A Decade Upholding Dignity: Where Sight Meets Opportunity
Laura Lee, Chief Representative - Hong Kong & ASEAN
My journey with The Fred Hollows Foundation has been deeply meaningful, but one moment remains particularly vivid: during my inaugural field visit to our Cambodia program, I witnessed a ‘patch off’ moment for a toddler born - Shanice with bilateral cataracts. As the bandages were removed after his surgery, his expression transformed with awe upon seeing his mother’s face for the first time – an experience that profoundly reinforced my commitment to our mission.
This encounter underscores a fundamental truth: eye health is universal. Every person will face vision challenges if they live long enough, yet many still perceive it as a niche concern. Beyond its intrinsic value, sight restoration is a proven catalyst for breaking cycles of poverty while advancing broader societal goals – from gender equity to enabling dignified aging. At its core, vision is inseparable from human dignity and opportunity.
As we mark our tenth anniversary in Hong Kong, we reaffirm our conviction that restoring sight transforms lives. Building on this decade of impact, we are poised to expand our reach and deepen our legacy across the region.. Click to see our website - Restoring Vision, Transforming Lives: The Fred Hollows Foundation Hong Kong Celebrates a Decade of Eye Health Impact The Fred Hollows Foundation Hong Kong - Ten Years Anniversary
The beauty of being able to see——Every pair of newborn eyes deserves the gift of light.
WHAT IMPACT CAN YOUR DONATION BRING?
Blindness and vision impairment is a health issue, and related to a person's well-being, quality of life and development opportunities. The Fred Hollows Foundation believes that a fly-in-fly-out model is not the best way to develop a place’s eye health care. Our vision is to build sustainable, good quality and affordable eye care in remote areas of the world.
Your donation will be used to:
- Train surgeons or eye health workers
- Provide medical equipment
- Organise eye screening camps in remote areas
- Raise awareness of eye health to the public
- Invest in innovation and research
