MIRACLE OF SIGHT… The case of Pang Meng-liang

RCKN’s Vision Screening in Guangxi Dec 2006• Picked out Pang Meng-liang, a student at Loong Yan Primary School• Age 9• Teachers very concern• Going blind but why? • Help needed for mobility from brothers and classmates

• Vision– Finger counting only

(legally blind)• Examination with

the ophthalmoscopy– cataract (both eyes)

• Teachers said – Parents said girl was very sick a few years

back– Not sure, but vision got worse after recovery

from sickness, according to the parents

Follow-up with Duan’s United Front

• Free cataract surgeries available in big towns in China

• Requested Mr Li to arrange for Meng-liang

(Email from Winnie in early Feb 2007)

• Mr Li informed us that there was a long queue (over 200) for free cataract surgery

Agreed to sponsor Meng-liang to have a cataract surgery asap– Expected cost: HK$10,000 (Rotarian

Tommy donated $2000)

Club Assembly 23th March 2007

Reports from Winnie on Meng-liang’s case

• Preliminary assessment– March 5th

• Cataract Surgeries – April 10th

– Meng-liang accompanied by her father

• Discharged– April 20th

Both visits, Jimmy and Winnie from Habitat International were at the hospital, helping Meng-liang and her Dad, registering and paying the bills etc. No accompanying people from Duan United Front.

Meng-liang with her Dad at the hospital. Assessment by the doctor before surgery

Meng-liang after the cataract surgey

Doctor’s report (on discharge)HistoryMeng-liang (F/9), admitted 10th April 2007• Vision: Finger counting at 30 cm only• Cataract in both eyes• Fundi unclear (due to cataract)

(fundus – the interior lining of the eyeball, including the retina (the light-sensitive screen))

• No other abnormality noted

Actions taken• Cataract surgeries scheduled on the 14th and 16th under general

anaesthetic

Discharged (20th April)• Both surgeries were successful• No abnormalities noted in the fundus of both eyes• Amblyopic (ie. subnormal vision)

– Amblyopic training prescribed– Medications given

• Review in 1-2 weeks

Follow-up• Total fees HK$10,360• Winnie called up principal of Loong Yan Primary

School• Principal agreed to sent a report

Letter from the principal – Received by Rotarian Pauline on the 26th

June– Translated by Winnie and received 2nd July– Translated version presented on the next 3

slides

Report on the visual recovery of Pang Meng-liang after cataract surgeryLoong Yan Primary School, Du’an, Guangxi Province, 28th June 2007

• Pang Meng-liang, born in December 1999, is a primary one student of Loong Yan Primary School. When she was one year old, she suffered from very high fever that caused her eyesight to fail. By the time she entered school, she no longer could see the road ahead, or recognized faces in front of her. She sat in the front row but she still could not see what was written on the blackboard, nor could she see clearly what was written on the textbook. Her learning relied solely through listening. Everyday, her parents have to send her to school and pick her up after school.

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Con’t….• This year, she received financial aid from Rotary

Club of Kowloon North and went for a check up in Guangxi General Hospital. It was confirmed that she had cataract in both her eyes and in the month of April, she received cataract surgery.

• Soon after the surgery, Meng-liang had gone back to school. Her eyesight has obviously improved because she can see what is written on the blackboard sitting in the 4th row from the front and can also read what is written on the textbook. She can see clearly the faces in front of her and recognized who they are. She walks to school and return home all by herself. Daily life style and activities are now much easier for her. Page 2/3

Con’t…

• The last few months, Pang Meng-liang’s eyesight had made a speedy recovery although it is still far from normal. She still has difficulty in reading small print but she has been quite persistent in wearing the corrective lenses for a few minutes daily. She hopes to achieve a greater improvement in her eyesight.

• Meng-liang and her family are very grateful to Rotary Club of Kowloon North for giving Meng-liang the chance to see again and all the convenience that comes with sight.

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Can you imagine what it is like to live in a world of darkness?

Fellow Rotarians…

• We may think nothing of it; it’s just a small thing one might say, BUT we gave a little girl, Pang Meng-liang, the

We gave a little girl the gift of SIGHT !!!