Page 49 - 2016 Annual Report

45

DR RUIT |

__

DR RUIT CONTINUES

A SHARED LEGACY

Fred called Dr Sanduk Ruit his “soulmate”. Together, they India in 2016. Chandra, who is deaf and mute,
shared a determination to bring high-quality affordable was plunged into isolation two years ago when she
eye health care to the developing world, and in particular went blind from cataracts. “After she lost her sight in
to Ruit’s native Nepal. both eyes she changed, her nature changed completely.
It was unbearable. Very painful for the whole family,” said
In the early 1990s, the cost of an intraocular lens (IOL) Suresh, her doting husband of 35 years.
meant modern cataract surgery was out of reach
for most Nepalis. Fred and Ruit worked tirelessly to Dr Ruit skilfully removed Chandra’s cataracts in just
change this, and in 1994 the Fred Hollows Foundation 15 minutes, using a technique that he pioneered
IOL Laboratory was opened in Kathmandu and began and perfected. When he removed her patches, her
producing lenses for just $5. Nearly 25 years on, the expressionless face lit up in a broad smile. She looked at
laboratory has produced more than 8 million lenses. her beloved Suresh and mouthed the word “husband”.
Even the experienced surgeon couldn’t hide his joy.
Dr Ruit has lost count of the number of people he’s
restored sight to, but it exceeds 120,000. Despite this, every “If I was given a chance
case still excites him. “It’s the change in the personality, the to be born again I would
change in the attitude, the change in the face that takes probably like to be born as
place within hours in somebody who is blind. I would say an ophthalmologist…you
it’s an extremely powerful moment,” he said. can make a difference to
so many people’s lives.
This was particularly apparent when Dr Ruit operated on I love what I’m doing,”
a special patient at an eye camp in the mountains of East Dr Ruit said.