Lien's Story

Cataract blindness left Lien isolated and afraid

For three long years, Lien from Oudomxay province in northern Laos lived in darkness. Cataract blindness left her unable to work, care for her children, or recognise the faces she loved most.

“I feel frustrated. I want to do things for my children but I cannot do it. I am depressed, angry. I want the best for myself and my family but I cannot do the best for them,” she said.

Lien worried most about her two-year-old son, Bountai. Their home sits just 20 steps from a busy highway where trucks thunder past at all hours.

“It’s difficult. Sometimes I’m looking for him inside and outside and he’s right here,” she said. “When he strays near the road, the neighbour shouts at me.”

Lien waits for cataract surgery in Oudomxay, Laos, as her children play nearby, hoping to see them clearly again with the help of The Fred Hollows Foundation.

Photo credit: Michael Amendolia

With the family struggling to make ends meet, Lien’s 14-year-old daughter, Aomphai, left school to work on a banana plantation from 6am to 7pm, four days a week.

“I want to help my family because we are poor. I pity my mum because it’s so difficult and I must help her. I am excited for my mum's surgery because I want to see my mother go back to what she was before,” Aomphai said.

Free cataract surgery in Laos gives Lien her sight back

Through The Fred Hollows Foundation’s Strengthening Eye Health System program, supported by the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP), Lien attended an outreach eye camp in her province. There, she met Dr Senglar Laosern, one of the few female ophthalmologists in Laos, who was trained by The Foundation.

Dr Senglar Laosern screens Lien at her home in Oudomxay, Laos, helping identify cataract and other eye health needs so she can receive treatment.

Photo credit: Michael Amendolia

Lien and her family travelled to Oudomxay Eye Hospital, where Dr Senglar performed cataract surgery on both of her eyes.

The next morning, when the patches were removed, Lien began to cry. She could see her son clearly for the first time, noticing even a tiny mosquito bite on his forehead.

Overjoyed, she called Aomphai to share the news. “I said, ‘Mum has completed her surgery,’ and she said, ‘Oh, my mum will be able to see me.’”

Now able to see again, Lien looks forward to returning to work and sending her daughter back to school.

“I can help my husband earn more money and I will be able to take my daughter to school. It’s like a new life for me,” she said.

Eye health programs in Laos are breaking barriers for women

Since 2008, The Fred Hollows Foundation has helped more than 100,000 people in Laos access eye screenings, operations, and treatments. Thousands of surgeons, nurses, and community health workers have been trained, and eye health services have expanded to 11 provinces, reaching nearly one million people.

Access to eye care is still uneven. Women are twice as likely as men to be blind and make up almost 70% of the cataract backlog. Many live in remote areas, face economic barriers, or lack access to health insurance.

The Foundation’s programs aim to strengthen local health systems, train female ophthalmologists like Dr Senglar, and ensure women and marginalised groups can get the care they need.

After cataract surgery in Oudomxay, Laos, Lien is guided by Dr Senglar as she begins to see again, taking her first steps toward a brighter, clearer future.

Photo credit: Michael Amendolia

“The majority of people in rural areas do not have access to a hospital. Many disadvantaged people are still waiting for us to reach them,” said Dr Senglar. “When The Foundation provided us with the car, it helps us a lot to reach remote areas. We can get to them wherever they are.”

In 2024 alone, the Foundation helped deliver:

• 40,641 eye screenings

• 13,026 operations and treatments, including 3,458 cataract surgeries

• 1,315 health workers trained, including 20 surgeons and 1,175 community health workers

A brighter future for families and communities

Lien’s story shows how sight can transform lives. She can now care for her children, support her husband, and plan for the future.

Lien smiles as her eye patches are removed, seeing her son and husband clearly again after cataract surgery in Oudomxay, Laos.

Photo credit: Michael Amendolia

The Fred Hollows Foundation is committed to ending avoidable blindness in Laos and around the world. You can help more people like Lien see again by donating today. Your support funds surgeries, trains local health professionals, and ensures remote communities can access life-changing eye care.