The Hunt

We are collecting a combination of 1000 pairs of non-prescription reading glasses and sunglasses to take with us to India. So far we have received  help from an organization called New Eyes for the Needy who have donated 400 pairs to the cause. Today, we were able to contact the local Lion's Club and they are providing us with 500 pairs. That makes us 90%  the way there! We just wanted to give a shout-out to charities like these that make such a difference in the lives of those in need!

You might wonder why we are taking so many reading glasses and sunglasses with us to India. There is an eye condition of which no man can evade called presbyopia. No matter who you are, presbyopia will catch up with you one day. Starting at age 40, the lens inside each eye becomes stiff and loses the ability to focus light by thinning and thickening itself. The lens is responsible for helping us read and work up close and when it stiffens, we lose that ability. In connection with presbyopia, cataracts are a part of aging but can sometimes affect children. Cataract surgery involves the removal of the natural lens inside our eyes and a replacement plastic or silicone intraocular lens (IOL) takes the place of the natural lens. Most lenses used in cataract surgery (apart the "premium" IOLs which cost a lot and can correct presbyopia to an extent) will not correct for presbyopia and therein lies the need for reading glasses after cataract surgery -especially of interest in India where we will be working with ophthalmologists to screen and remove cataracts from patients. Cataracts are a part of aging but can sometimes affect children.

It is also important to know that wearing sunglasses with 100% UV protection can also aid in preventing cataracts before they develop.

Watch the video below if you want to see what happens during a cataract surgery. Don't worry, the video is computer animated so you shouldn't get sick! Ha ha!