A week of surgeries by a Samaritan's Purse team in Tonj helped change lives, both now and for eternity.
Cataract surgery—a simple enough procedure in Western countries—is nearly impossible to access in South Sudan. When people’s eyes begin to cloud with cataracts, it is typically only a matter of time before they reach complete blindness.
Our medical team prepares Awein Bak for her cataract surgery.
To help meet the great needs of this East African nation, Samaritan’s Purse sent a medical team to Tonj, South Sudan, to conduct a weeklong cataract mission. Hundreds of men and women responded—many walking up to five days to reach the In Deed and Truth Hospital, our partnering facility.
Awein Bak, a frail woman in her 90s, was one of the patients. She started losing her vision five years ago. For the last three years she lived in total darkness. Awein was not strong enough to travel the distance to the hospital, and her family lacked the money to hire a car or motorbike. The situation was bleak. She desperately wanted to see again, but reaching the clinic seemed nearly impossible.
The brief surgery is performed with precision through a microscope.
Then her four grandchildren banded together. They accompanied her on the journey—taking turns carrying her in their arms or piggyback style along the dusty path. For four days, they progressed down the dirt road like this, committed to giving their grandmother a chance to once again look them in the eyes.
Awein received cataract surgery through Samaritan’s Purse, and less than 24 hours later, her eye patch was removed. She rejoiced at her new vision.
Awein celebrates with one of the other patients during recovery.
“The darkness ran away from me, and I can only see the light. I am so happy,” Awein said.
Awein was overwhelmed with joy as she looked at her grandchildren again for the first time in years. She said, “God has been faithful with me. His love and His mercy is always beautiful upon me.”
Waiting to See Again
Last year, Samaritan’s Purse also conducted a week of cataract surgeries in remote Tonj. The needs were overwhelming as hundreds of blind patients hoped for a chance to see again.
Bath Madhieu was another one of our cataract patients that week.
Bath Madhieu hoped to be one of those patients. Bath lived in a village more than five days away by foot. When she received word that Samaritan’s Purse was offering cataract surgeries, she started running. The clinic was already underway, but she was willing to do anything within her power for a chance to see again.
She traveled on foot as fast as she could—being led by her daughter. But the distance was too far. The week-long clinic had already been completed by the time they reached the town. Still, Bath didn’t give up hope.
Rather than journeying home to her village, Bath and her daughter decided to stay in Tonj. She heard that Samaritan’s Purse would return this year (2022), and she worried that her home was too far away for word to reach her in time. Bath wouldn’t risk missing her chance at eyesight again. After a year of hoping, praying and waiting, this October’s team of Samaritan’s Purse eye surgeons returned to Tonj. Bath was one of the first patients in line.
“I was waiting patiently,” she said. “Because I was waiting with hope that I would see again.”
Bath Madhieu flashed a big smile as she experienced the gift of sight after many years without it.
Being blind in South Sudan is nearly debilitating. Basic resources like water and food require great effort. Nearly everyone must farm and cultivate their own food, and no one has running water inside their homes. The gift of eyesight completely changes people’s lives.
Bath received that gift this year. She broke into song and dance when her eye patch was removed.
“I was blind and now I am able to see—simply because the people of Jesus came with the love of Jesus and opened my eyes,” Bath said.
Bath’s physical sight was restored, but more importantly, her spiritual eyes were also opened. During the recovery process, she heard the Gospel. For the first time, the words of God convicted her heart. She made the decision to accept Jesus Christ as her Savior. As she prepared to begin the five-day journey home after nearly a year away, she promised that she would share her testimony with everyone she meets. She said that if her community doesn’t believe her, she will say, “You don’t have to believe me. If you need proof, the proof is that now I can see. I am going to serve Jesus.”
From October 7-13, 2022, the Samaritan’s Purse team performed 442 cataract surgeries. We praise God that many patients not only received physical sight but also spiritual sight.
Please continue to pray for our cataract surgical teams and for those they are serving.
Bath praises God for the miracle of sight given to her through surgeons helping in Jesus’ Name.
Note: If you are an experienced medical specialist with an interest in serving on a surgical team, please learn more on our cataract program page.
