For four years, Varsila lived without vision in either eye. She could no longer weave mats, go fishing, or take part in daily life. She had to be assisted with almost everything and often had to just stay home, making her feel left out.
Varsila travelled more than two hours from her home in to the Pacific Eye Institute (PEI) in Suva. She had been referred for surgery, but her diabetes meant her sugar levels were too high for the operation to go ahead. Doctors prescribed tablets to bring them under control and advised her to eat simple foods. To be closer to the clinic, she stayed with her daughter and her family in Suva until she could undergo cataract surgery.
Varsila had felt hesitant, but when the day of her surgery finally came, she was overjoyed. As the bandages were removed, she laughed and cried, filling the clinic with her happiness.
When we visited her at home, Varsila’s joy was impossible to miss. Her daughter’s mother-in-law say she could hear from the street before they even started coming down the driveway. “She was looking around and saying, ‘Oh, I can see, I can see!’ She was so happy.”
“Before, she needed to be assisted in everything. Now, she can go by herself. It is much easier for the family now,” her daughter explained.
“The children will not let her work anymore. She will just enjoy her sight!”
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