Written by Darren Triller

Through the miracle of social media and the caring and collaboration of at least 4 global non-profits (including A Promise to Peru) and a medical device company, a teenaged boy in Nicaragua was able to undergo sight-saving surgery last month to address congenital glaucoma in his remaining eye. The case was initially identified by an ophthalmologist in northern Nicaragua and it was determined that a procedure to implant a pediatric Ahmed valve was the only hope for saving his sight. While a surgeon was available to perform the procedure 3 hours away in the capital of Managua, there was not a single Ahmed valve available in the country for the procedure.

The local doctor reached out to a nearby American missionary (Cross Mountain Mission, crossmountainmission.org ) for assistance and they, in turn, posted the plea for help to social media. Through Facebook connections with other missionaries in Nicaragua (Enrich Missions, enrichmissions.org ) the plight came to the attention of members of the Promise to Peru team.  Outreach to the manufacturer (New World Medical, newworldmedical.com ) and additional networking with other organizations (FNE International, fneinternational.org ) then resulted in the delivery of the needed valve to Managua, and the boy underwent successful surgery soon thereafter.

 This case illustrates the value and importance of the work that we do together through A Promise to Peru. It is our hope that, through your support and generosity, we can continue to bring the gift of sight to those in developing regions of the world.