Dear Good,
At 76, Tessougue Yietere had been in pain for years, she couldn't see well, she couldn't sleep, and she was scared.
Tessougue lives in a village called Logo in Mali's Mopti region, where the Sahara Desert gives way to the Central African rainforest. For many years she had suffered from trachoma, a recurrent bacterial eye infection that can lead to blindness. The advanced stage of trachoma, called trachomatous trichiasis, is when the eyelashes turn inward, their sharp points raking across the eye with every blink.
 | | A Carter Center-trained health worker in Mali prepares to perform simple eyelid surgery to relieve a trachoma patient’s pain and suffering. |
"I felt pain, my eyes were watering all the time, and my lashes were jabbing the eye," Tessougue said.
But Tessougue didn't have to keep suffering. Thanks to generous support like yours, she and other sufferers in Mali, neighboring Niger, and several other African countries receive antibiotics to prevent trachoma and halt its progress. Those who, like Tessougue, are at risk of going blind may undergo a simple surgery that reverses trichiasis and in many cases saves their sight. Working with communities and governments, The Carter Center is able to perform these eye surgeries for about $60 per operation. And how much is it worth to know that Tessougue and other trachoma sufferers will be able to see their grandchildren?
At first Tessougue feared letting anyone get near her badly scratched eyes, but the pain became too much, and she at last agreed to have the surgery.
It was a good decision, but it required a lot of courage and trust. A health worker from her own area, trained by The Carter Center, performed the procedure, free of charge as always. For the first time in years, Tessougue could close her eyes without pain and enjoy life like everyone else.
"I am happy!" she said. "The pain disappeared. My lashes are not touching my eye. My vision is so much better."
Trachoma is the world's leading cause of preventable blindness. Of the 232 million people at risk for trachoma, most are children, and women are almost twice as likely as men to develop the advanced stage of trachoma that causes blindness.
Sadi Moussa, our country representative in Mali, explains why The Carter Center is compelled to help.
Good, when you donate to this important cause, your gift will be doubled by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation and women like Tessougue will be among the very last people to suffer from this devastating disease in Mali and Niger.
We are 93% of the way toward our fundraising goal of $6.44 million, but we need your help to complete our work.
Your donation will provide surgical relief for advanced-stage trachoma, distribution of antibiotics for entire communities, and prevention education through a large-scale public health campaign focusing on face washing and latrine use. These are all key components of the “SAFE” strategy, the highly successful four-pronged method for eliminating blinding trachoma.
Please make the most generous gift you can, knowing it will be matched dollar for dollar — an opportunity too good for you to miss and so crucial for those suffering from this blinding disease. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Jimmy Carter
Co-Founder and Trustee
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