Voices of Ecuador: Patient Interviews, Stories, and Care

By Gina Fernandez
International & Education Programs Coordinator, SEE International
seeintl.org

Patient Interview Summary – Fanny (49) & Ana Lucia “Anita” (64)
Surgical Date: 5/20/25
Procedure: Left Eye Cataract Surgery (second eye for both patients)
Interview Type: Video and in-person interview (partial transcription)

(Left) Fanny – 49 yo and (Right) Ana Lucia (Anita) – 64 yo

Fanny and Anita were among the final patients of a long surgical day, both having waited since 6:00 AM for their turn. Coincidentally, both women were there for surgery on their left eye and were the last two patients taken into the operating room around 6:30 PM. Though strangers before, they discovered they live on the same street, just on opposite ends of town, and shared nearly identical visual challenges.

During the interviews, there was a quiet, powerful moment. The sun had begun to set, casting a golden glow over Chimborazo Volcano—a view visible from a small window in the dining area on the top floor. A team member captured the scene and shared it in our WhatsApp group chat, prompting a steady stream of surgical volunteers to make their way upstairs to witness the breathtaking sight for themselves.

When I explained to Fanny why so many were rushing up the stairs, she closed her eyes and began to describe the volcano in vivid detail, without having seen it.

“I can see it now,” she said, “how the sun is hitting from the top, the clouds overcast but not covering the volcano, and the glimmering of the rays against the snow on the mountainside. It is one of the most beautiful sights to see.”

I was stunned into silence. Just twenty minutes earlier, I had been up there myself, taking photos of that very view—watching the sun fall behind the mountain, the Riobamba neighborhood spread below. And now, here was Fanny, unable to see it physically yet painting it perfectly from memory. I found myself holding back tears.

Q: What will you do once your vision is fully restored?
Fanny shared that she longs to return to the countryside on weekends, something she had stopped doing. She described it as a place of peace and renewal; a quiet escape filled only with the sounds of wind, trees, birds, and distant neighbors. Regaining her sight means being able to fully enjoy that space again.

When asked if she would return to dancing, she laughed and confirmed that she never really stopped, but now she looks forward to dancing while being able to see both her own movements and those of others.

She also expressed her desire to see the volcano Tungurahua again, as she was born in a community in that region.

Anita echoed these sentiments, saying she dreams of returning to her home in La Alegría, to be with her animals and harvest her herbs; the things that once brought her joy. However, due to her vision loss, she had to leave that life behind after repeated accidents, including cutting her hands. With her sight restored, she hopes to return, but this time, with care and confidence.

Both women reflected on how their partial vision had made depth perception difficult. Fanny explained how even with sharp vision in her right eye, she struggled to judge distances, sometimes thinking she was about to reach the ground when she was still far off. She mentioned that she often relied on memory to navigate familiar roads. Anita `nodded in agreement, saying she experienced the same disconnect between what she saw and what her brain processed.

They both laughed and marveled at how similar their experiences were. Fanny jokingly said, “You see! Coincidence? It’s not a coincidence!”

Despite those challenges, both expressed gratitude for their restored vision and the freedom it gives them. Fanny described how she cried when she first began seeing clearly with her right eye, it was overwhelming to see so sharply after so long.

These two women, by chance, discovered they live on the same street, just on opposite ends of town. Both shared that they only dared to walk short distances, to and from work or church, because they had fallen too many times before. Even with sharp vision in their right eye, it hadn’t been enough to feel safe.

Now, after receiving successful surgeries on their left eye, their vision has been fully restored.

I can imagine them now, meeting halfway between their homes, joyfully walking side by side. No longer burdened by the fear of falling. No longer relying on family or friends to guide them. Their independence has returned with their sight.

As Fanny described the towering Chimborazo volcano, I pictured her, after all the post-op visits, taking in the golden sunset as it spills across the snow-capped peak. Both women will once again be able to tend to the land they were raised on, reconnecting with their surroundings; not just through memory, but through all five senses. Fully present. Fully restored.

Both women experienced joy and validation in realizing they were not alone in their struggles.

Their restored vision means a return to independence, confidence, and a reconnection to their roots, whether tending land, seeing their surroundings clearly, or simply walking safely again.

This heartfelt and revealing interview highlights not just the impact of restored sight, but the shared human experience that unfolds during these surgical programs. Their stories serve as a powerful reminder of how access to care transforms lives; physically, emotionally, and socially.

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Patient Stories: William (8) and Jesús (14), Two Young Cousins

Jesús, 14, and William, 8, had been born with poor vision and severe nystagmus (rapid, involuntary eye movement). Both struggled every day to navigate life with minimal sight. For William, the situation was especially dire: one eye was completely blind, and the other had extremely poor vision. Jesús could see only the largest letters on the chart with one eye, while the other provided no functional vision.

Months before the mission, a local ophthalmologist reached out to Dr. Michael Sable, describing the boys’ cases and asking the question every surgeon weighs carefully: Could anything be done?

“I knew these surgeries carried huge risks,” Dr. Sable recalls. “Both boys had only one functional eye left. If something went wrong, they could be completely blind.”

When the team examined the cousins under anesthesia; the only way to properly assess their eyes. Dr. Sable found Jesús’s situation particularly unusual: the lens in his poor eye had completely resorbed, leaving behind a dense, scarred capsule. William’s only good eye had a severely damaged lens, but the anatomy offered a more straightforward path for surgery.

With careful planning and support from the mission team, Dr. Sable decided to move forward, operating on each boy’s better eye.

“We performed a delicate procedure to remove the scarred tissue and implant an intraocular lens,” he explains. “It was all or nothing.”

The results were nothing short of life-changing.

“Jesús went from seeing only the big ‘E’ to reading the 20/50 line on the eye chart. William, who had been living in shadows, could suddenly recognize letters,” Dr. Sable shares. “In ten years of doing missions, these two kids are at the top of my list.”

For William and Jesús, the gift of sight means more than clear vision — it means a chance to return to school, to play, to dream. For their families, it’s the lifting of a lifelong burden and the promise of a brighter future.

As Dr. Sable reflects:

“It’s not just restoring vision. It’s restoring dignity, independence, and opportunity — for a child, for a family, for a community.”

Dr. Sable Lead doctor for the program and doctor that preformed Jesus and William’s cases in addition to Anita’s left eye.

Dr. Jose Davila, a young ophthalmologist from Boston on his first program. Preformed Fanny’s left eye in addition to 34 other cataract cases.

Pictured left to right: Dr. Jose Davila (Surgeon) Dr. Joe Ing (Anesthesiologist) Dr. Michael Sable (Lead Surgeon), Dr. Debra Messina (President for Sights on Health and Long time SEE Partner)

Pictured: Dr. Sable and Dr. Krebs taking a little break from the long day’s work.

Jesus, 14, being examined Post-operatively by Host Dr. Carlos Gonzalez and Traveling Surgeon/Retina Specialist, Dr. Jose Davila.

Pictured: Jesus’s father, Jesus’s Aunt, Dr. Juan Morales (anesthesiologist) and Melissa Monaghan, RN. After Jesus’s surgery.

William and his mother at the intake, both unsure if he will have surgery on this day, but hopeful.

Pictured: Ambar Ruiz, a medical student, assisting with pre- and post-operative care, alongside Jesus, who returned for his follow-up visit. Jesus stayed throughout the day, observing patients as they moved in and out of the surgical room. He was also there to support his aunt and cousin while they waited for William’s turn to be examined; and ultimately operated on.