By Hope 103.2Tuesday 9 Aug 2022Station NewsReading Time: 4 minutes
On Miracles Day, Thursday 18 August, join Hope 103.2 and help give the miracle of sight to those living in poverty.
It only takes $33 to cover a 12-minute surgery that people in poverty can not afford on their own and you will be part of our community around this city, state and country helping restore sight for someone with cataracts – you are literally helping change their life for the better, forever.
Your $33 gift could give the Miracle of sight to someone as young as Sabina, 9, who had cataracts in both eyes – preventing her from attending school.
Sabina Darji (9) has bilateral cataracts. She lives with her mother and grandmother in the outskirts of Dharan, a city in Eastern Nepal. Here, Biratnagar Eye Hospital outreach staff Jitendra Ray (in red CBM t-shirt) examines Sabina’s eyes at home before the surgery.
Cataracts are one of the leading causes of blindness in developing countries. Although straightforward to treat, people are living needlessly blind because they can’t afford eyecare and surgery.
Your gift of $33 today can give someone the gift of sight
Give the gift of sight to someone in need today!
This year, Hope 103.2’s goal is to give 5000 Miracle gifts of sight-saving surgery.
A Miracle is a $33 gift that gives someone blind from cataracts the simple 12-minute sight-saving surgery needed to restore their sight. Blindness to sight in 12-minute… a Miracle.
Eight in 10 cases of vision impairment are considered avoidable.
Nine in 10 people who are visually impaired live in developing countries.
Cataracts are one of the leading causes of vision impairment globally.
Join us this Miracles Day – Thursday 18 August 2022
Donations of $2 or more are tax deductible.
Miracles Day in its 10th year
This year, CBM and Christian radio station across Australia celebrate the 10th anniversary of Miracles Day, and the thousands of Australians who have provided more than 300,000 Miracles of sight over the past decade.
Each Miracle is a life transformed for good – a life like that of 37-year-old Janice from the Philippines who had her sight restored after three decades of struggling to see.
“I’m really thankful for everyone who made this happen. You must be the angel that God has sent to grant my wish since I was young. You’d never know how much happiness you gave me and my family,” she said.
John Jeffries, who was CEO of CBM when Miracles Day was established, said the impact of meeting people who had received the gift of sight will always resonate with him.
“I will never forget the unbounded joy of standing in a hospital ward in Tanzania as several poor people, who had been blind for years, had their post-surgical bandages removed. For some, it was the first time they actually saw their grandkids,” John said.
“We had a heartfelt desire to deliver the life-changing joy of sight restored to thousands of people. We knew that if we could share the dream with more Australians, they would join us in our mission to change the lives of the poorest blind people in the world.”
“I will never forget the unbounded joy of standing in a hospital ward in Tanzania as several poor people, who had been blind for years, had their post-surgical bandages removed. For some, it was the first time they actually saw their grandkids,” – John Jeffries, CEO of CBM when Miracles Day was established
Impact of COVID-19 on people with disabilities
There’s never been a more important time to support Miracles Day. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a catastrophic impact on people with disabilities, including those with cataracts, making it even more challenging for them to access life-changing healthcare and the cataract surgeries that could save their vision. As a result of lockdowns and restrictions, there is now a backlog of people waiting for urgent cataract surgery.
That is why Hope 103.2 has once again partnered with CBM and other Christian radio around the country to call on Australians to unite this year and give 52,000 Miracle gifts of sight-saving surgery. Each Miracle costs just $33 – less than the cost of two movie tickets.
“Together, we can end cataract blindness in poor communities… Your kindness has the power to utterly transform people’s lives.”
CBM CEO Jane Edge said the collective generosity of Australians can make a profound difference to the lives of some of the world’s most disadvantaged people.
“Together, we can end cataract blindness in poor communities – that’s the future of Miracles Day,” she said.
“And we want to invite even more compassionate Australians to join us in this work. Your kindness has the power to utterly transform people’s lives.”