In an impressive team effort, the Niramaya Eye Bank and the Tej Kohli Foundation joined forces to give vision back to a man that had been blind for 45 years. These two organizations showed the true meaning of the word philanthropy by procuring the corneas used for corneal transplant and fully funding the cost of the surgery.
Vijaypal Kumar was born in Akera; a sighted, spirited little boy who loved to play in the fields with his sister and six brothers. One day, while the siblings were playing, a bajra seed fell into young 3-year old Vijaypal’s eye. Although the boy was in pain, the family felt it was not necessary to seek medical attention. This injury reduced the vision in his left eye by almost 70 percent. A school accident when Vijaypal was 7-years old took his sight from his right eye.
Forced to abandon his schooling due to his extremely poor eyesight, Vijaypal spent most of his time at home or roaming the fields while his friends and family played. He married a local girl, Ramkala, when he was 18-years old and the couple went on to have two sons, Chanchal and Sandeep Kumar. Life was not easy for Ramkala, what with trying to raise two young children and support a blind husband. Ramkala’s elder brother helped her to set up a small milk dairy and through this endeavor, she was able to support her family. Their family has grown to include four grandchildren.
Over the years Vijaypal visited all the hospitals in the area; however, most of the doctors informed him there was nothing they could do to help him. Vijaypal did consult with a doctor at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi concerning corneal transplantation surgery but gave up on the idea after finding out that the waiting time might be longer than two years.
One year later, Raman Munjal Hospital’s Dr. Dheeraj met with Vijaypal and suggested he visit the Ahooja Eye Hospital in Gurgaon, where the wait time for the transplant surgery was a mere six weeks. Vijaypal opted to have the surgery and left the hospital the next day with all the supplies that were needed for his recovery. The cost of the surgery and all supplies were covered completely by the Tej Kohli Foundation. The Niramaya Eye Bank provided the corneas.
The first person that Vijaypal saw after his corneal transplant surgery was his son, but it was the sight of his one-year old grandchild that made the biggest impression. Vijaypal said upon seeing his granddaughter for the first time, “ I saw her properly for the first time that day. Yes, that was the happiest moment of my life.”
With his vision restored, Vijaypal is now able to lead an active and productive life. He is able to see the faces of his loved ones, faces that were so long in the dark. He is able to watch his grandchildren grow up. He is able to be a part of the village festivities and is involved in school activities. He is able to do all this because of the generosity of the Tej Kohli Foundation and the Niramaya Eye Bank.