A New Dawn For Dhanwantri: Dreams Rekindled, Vision Restored
In a humble village in Muzaffarpur, Bihar, where the sun’s golden rays illuminate fields of green, 12-year-old Dhanwantri Kumari’s world was shrouded in shadows. Amid the beauty of her surroundings, her reality was defined by the growing darkness in her eyes.
Shadows of Despair
Born with congenital cataracts, the vibrant colours of life escaped her vision, leaving her future blurred and uncertain. Each passing day, the darkness seemed to steal a little more of her childhood joys and dreams.
Dhanwantri, a bright girl with an insatiable love for learning, often spent her days clutching her schoolbooks close, straining to read the faint letters. Her growing inability to keep up with her classmates weighed heavily on her young mind, while her parents silently bore the pain of seeing their child’s dreams falter.
I loved going to school,
she recalls.
But when I couldn’t see the blackboard or my books, I felt left behind. It hurt so much to think that my dreams might be slipping away.
Her mother watched helplessly as her once-spirited daughter became withdrawn.
She would sit in a corner, trying to read with her face inches from the page,
says Dhanwantri’s mother. Her voice heavy with emotion.
We wanted to help her, but we didn’t have the means. We were heartbroken.
A Ray of Hope
Everything changed when Akhand Jyoti Eye Hospital brought its Bal Drishti initiative to Dhanwantri’s village.
The programme, designed to combat curable blindness in children, identified Dhanwantri’s condition at a free eye screening camp.
When they told us her cataracts could be treated, I cried tears of joy,
Her mother recalls.
Referred to the hospital in Matsichak, Dhanwantri underwent a life-changing, sight-restoring surgery at no cost. The hospital’s outreach team meticulously arranged for her transport to their Matsichak facility, where she received pre-surgical care.
The care and generosity of donors turned what seemed impossible into reality.
Dreams Rekindled
The morning after her surgery, Dhanwantri’s eyes filled with tears, not from pain, but from joy.
For the first time in years, she could see the world in vivid detail.
I saw my mother’s face clearly. She was smiling, but I could see she’d been crying too,
Dhanwantri shares.
It felt like a new life had begun for me.
Her newfound clarity extended beyond her sight—it reawakened her dreams. She returned to school, eagerly embracing the opportunities that lay before her.
Now I can see everything on the blackboard. I feel like I can do anything,
she says, her voice brimming with confidence.
I will study hard and make something of myself, no matter what challenges come my way. I want to show my family that we can rise above poverty.
A Mother’s Gratitude
For Dhanwantri’s mother, the transformation was miraculous.
Before, I worried about how she would live her life. Now, I see her smiling and studying, and I feel like we’ve been given a second chance,
she says.
Lighting the Path for Many More
Dhanwantri’s story embodies the mission of Akhand Jyoti Eye Hospital and the Bal Drishti initiative to reach children in low-income geographies, provide free sight-restoring surgeries, and reignite dreams dulled by curable blindness.
Through this initiative, Akhand Jyoti aims to screen 5,00,000 children, perform 4,000 surgeries, and provide 4,000 spectacles in rural Bihar by 2030.
Join Akhand Jyoti in transforming the lives of children like Dhanwantri. Together, we can create a future where no dream is clouded by curable blindness.
