Michael Jones in Vanuatu

Agnes lives in a small village on the northern coast of Efate,Vanuatu. A year ago her sight was restored by a Foundation-trained surgeon after two years of complete blindness.

Last month The Foundation visited Agnes again with rugby legend Michael Jones.  It was a long, dusty drive to Agnes' home in her small village. 

No-one could believe the change in Agnes' life.  A year ago she was withdrawn and quiet and spent her day sitting under a tree in her garden, unable to cook, clean or grow food. She couldn't walk
without help. Her daughter lived with her to care for her.

Now she strode out to the approaching car, smiling and waiving.  She hugged and kissed everyone, thanking them over and over again, and proudly displayed how she could now pick mangoes from the huge tree in her garden, which she took to market three days a week in Port Vila, an hour away.

Shw was now completely independent, caring for herself and her husband and providing an income for her family.  Her daughter had also returned to work and to her own family again.

It's quite amazing to think of the impact of a 20-minutes cataract operation on her life.

Michael Jones was visiting Vanuatu to experience a two week outreach clinic led by Dr John Szetu, which included Dr Szetu's trainee surgeons from the Pacific Eye Institute in Fiji. 

Hundreds of patients were treated over the two weeks.  Patients just like Agnes.

What was particularly exciting about this trip was that the entire surgical team were Pacific Islanders - four surgeons from the Solomon Islands and Fiji, and eight eye nurses from provinces around Vanuatu, previously trained by Dr Szetu as part of the Vanuatu National Eye Program partnership.

As always, there was a huge crowd of people at the eye clinic on the first morning. Everyone had heard that the eye doctors were coming. There were queues all day. The team worked 14 hour days, trying to see as many people as possible. They treated men,women and children - the youngest four year old and the oldest ninety-two. There was blindness from cataracts, eye injuries and infections. The doctors operated on patient after patient with kindness and skill.

In many cases people had travelled great distances, from most of Vanuatu's far flung islands. Many had been convinced to come to the clinic by the local eye nurses and these nurses were providing a friendly face to support them through what was a daunting, but life-changing, experience.

The day after their surgery, people lined up outside the clinic to have their bandages removed. Joy and gratitude lit up face after face as people realised they could see again. The team then tested every patient's vision and recorded all results to monitor their work and maintain high standards. It was important to ensure that surgery brought about a life changing improvement for patients.

As he left on the last day, Michael met 63-year-old John Liu.

"Yesterday I could see shadows, but couldn't tell if I was looking at a person, an animal or
a tree. Today I see like a 16-year- old!

It really is a miracle to me!" he said.

It is supporters like you that made this miracle happen.  Please donate today so that we can restore sight to many more people throughout the Pacific.  Donate here

View a slideshow of Michael's inspirational trip here