Changed for the Better

Santa Morales Pilo Bilateral CataractChanged for the Better

“I am not the same as I was yesterday”

by Katie Slagle, Surgery Coordinator

Three years ago, Santa Morales Pilo’s life changed drastically when her second cataract completely took her vision. “I was depressed and cried all the time,” she remembers. “I couldn’t make tortillas or wash the clothes, but most of all, I missed visiting my children.” Santa became confined to her home. Her family had to help her with routine daily tasks. She couldn’t even eat on her own.

Then, a few months ago, one of her son’s friends told her about the surgery teams who serve at Project Salud y Paz. Along with her family, Santa decided to sign up to see the eye and see if he could help.

When the day arrived to see the specialist, Santa was not nervous.  “I had faith in God that everything would be okay,” she says. “We were praying and thanking God for the doctors who came to help us.”  Santa arrived at the clinic at 4 a.m. and anxiously awaited her consult. When she qualified for surgery and received her surgical appointment, she was overjoyed.

On the day of her surgery, Santa was not nervous at all, only excited. The surgery to remove her cataracts went well, so she was discharged to her home and told to come back the next day for a post-operative consult.

The day after surgery, the surgery team removed Santa’s eye patch, and for the first time in three years, Santa could see. As tears of joy poured down her face, she exclaimed, “I am not the same as I was yesterday!”

Immediately after leaving the clinic, Santa went to visit her son, where she was able to see her 6-month-old grandson’s face for the first time. “He has a cute face; he’s very handsome,” she says.

Santa is so grateful she was able to receive this surgery that she would like those who helped her to know that she is praying for them and their work in the United States.

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