Gift of Sight

Faith, 10, had been born with Strabismus, an eye condition where one eye looks straight while the other turns in another direction, which could be out or in, up or down.

Strabismus, which is also known as “cross-eyes” can cause one to have difficulty when reading and writing, thus affecting a child’s learning.

Despite her condition, Faith was nonetheless resolute to finish her studies.

“Children would bully her,” Moises, 43, Faith’s father shares.

And what did Faith do when other kids would tease her? “I just told them, ‘I’m born with brains.’”

While Faith did not let her condition define her, her parents knew that their daughter yearned for the day when she could see the world with both her eyes aligned.

With limited income, the family couldn’t immediately bring Faith to a doctor. “Though I know it would take time, I promised her that I would do anything to save money for her operation,” Moises recalls, a delivery rider who earns between Php500 to Php1000, and sometimes nothing.

He adds, “After the Covid pandemic, when people can now go out freely, delivery bookings were reduced, and it affected my daily income. Sometimes, I would stay on the street for extended hours, waiting for a delivery request, so I could have money when I went home.”

Faith’s parents, Moises and Marites, have been supportive and loving of her. They always made Faith feel that nothing was wrong with her and that she was like other children. However, when Faith was growing, she began to feel self-conscious about her eyes.

“I once wondered why my eyes are different from my classmates’ eyes,” Faith says.

When World Vision saw Faith’s condition, the child became part of its medical project funded by Korean sponsors and donors. When they learned about it, the family was ecstatic. Her parents along with World Visions staff took Faith to a doctor for a consultation. In no time, Faith was scheduled for surgery to correct her cross-eyes.

“We thought she would stay long in the hospital, but she did not. We went home a few hours after her surgery. It was fast!” Marites says.

Faith was happy that her cross-eyes were no longer her defining feature. “When I saw in the mirror that my eyes were ok, I was so happy! My eyes are now like the other children. They also stop teasing me,” Faith says. “I want to thank World Vision supporters who helped me have normal eyes.”