@ramonoropeza 21 April 2026

Please help my mother with her cataract surgery! It's urgent! I am writing this post with many mixed feelings: on one hand, I feel uneasy being in this position of asking for support, but on the other, we cannot allow more time to pass and risk my mother going completely blind. Every day, she reminds me how she can practically no longer see with her left eye; with it, she can only recognize my shadow. Her right eye is heading down the same path as the left. My precious woman, my example. My mother is the second of 10 siblings from a peasant marriage. She was born and spent her childhood in the oil fields of "Mene Grande" in Zulia State. My grandfather worked there as a laborer while my grandmother cared for the children. After having seven children, they decided to move to Barquisimeto, Lara State. My grandfather worked for a time at the sugar refinery, while my grandmother began working as a laborer at a school near their home. During that time, my eldest uncle studied and played baseball, while my mother only studied and helped my grandmother care for the younger siblings (eventually 6 girls and 4 boys). Of all the siblings, my mother is the one with a reserved, conciliatory, and advisory character—how could she not be, after being the guide alongside my grandparents? She was the one my grandparents demanded the most from: she excelled in her studies, never went out to parties, and didn't have a boyfriend until she was an adult. Although she entered the Polytechnic University, she couldn't graduate because, at that time, there were many protests for educational reform. One day, she learned about the scholarship-based technical courses offered by the CANTV (National Telephone Company of Venezuela). Along with several classmates, she went to the capital, completed the Communications Technician course, and they were hired by CANTV almost immediately. She did not return to her university studies; instead, she spent 30 years building the landline and internet telecommunications network of central-western Venezuela. As a technician and project designer, she had to create blueprints and travel constantly to supervise company projects. Today, this is the infrastructure that keeps the country connected, and she was a protagonist in its creation. With her effort and dedication, she managed to raise my brother and me and help my grandparents. She gave us a roof over our heads where we never lacked anything; she didn't have a man by her side, but she had her family. All my admiration goes to my mother, who has always been an example of perseverance and hard work, as well as a woman of great spiritual strength and temperance.

Medical situation. Following her retirement, she was able to live off her severance benefits (today in Venezuela, social benefits are non-existent) until the country entered a deeper crisis in 2014. The company could no longer sustain the insurance for retirees, and public services decayed to the point of being non-existent, so she stopped attending regular routine medical consultations. She has several diagnoses resulting from years of work and age: herniated discs, hypothyroidism, and recently, venous insufficiency and hypertension. Also, due to her thyroid issues and age, her teeth have deteriorated, and she needs a prosthesis soon. However, the urgent and important matter is cataract surgery. In September of last year, the diagnosis was precise: Cataract Surgery. Both eyes are affected. The right eye is in a "mature" state and the left eye is "hypermature." Her vision worsens every day and it is unavoidable; as time passes, the white in her pupils becomes more and more noticeable. Although she sometimes tries to hide the fact that she can practically no longer see out of her left eye just to avoid worrying us, it can no longer be hidden.

We have tried the channels provided by the State for these cases, but the truth is the process is very disheartening. The only way to obtain this type of surgery covered by the State is through a mobile or web application called VENAPP. It is an application for all types of requests for government programs, but we have already gone through this process and only received one call to say the request was received—that was in November of last year. The insurance from the company she dedicated 30 years of her life to no longer covers specialized consultations, only general ones and some emergencies. My brother and I only earn enough to cover essential household expenses and my mother's basic medicines. For all the above reasons—and practical ones such as low fees, immediacy, privacy, and the good faith of the BCH community—we hopefully request your support to cover the costs of the surgery for both eyes and the post-operative treatment. This year is very important for us to ensure my mother's vision is perfect; she will turn 70 years old this year, and with this surgery, her life will be much fuller and more manageable. Budget and Goal. In our search for good options, we found one of the best ophthalmologists in our city, Dr. Fahir Duran. Dr. Duran has a package that includes: Johnson & Johnson monofocal intraocular lens Ophthalmological supplies for the surgery Medical fees Clinic expenses First post-operative consultation Total for one eye: $1,850 We would also need: Transportation expenses: $100 Post-operative supplies: $500 Pre and post-operative consultations ($85 x 4): $340

Thus, it would be $2,790 per eye, making our total goal $5,600 (approximately 12.8 BCH). This is the goal to obtain sufficient resources to carry out the surgery on both of my mother's eyes over a period of 4 to 6 months; this is because one eye is operated on first and then the other, with a typical rest period of 1 to 2 months between surgeries. Finally, it is quite difficult for me to be in this situation with my mother, the being I love most in my entire life. She has voluntarily told me to look for a way to help her with her visual health. I have great hopes of reaching the set goal. The entire process will be properly documented and published. I want to thank in advance each and every person who supports my mother in this process and for making her life better. Thank you very much. The wallet: bitcoincash:qqr0zl4jznduv88xz8pegu0fx44hatpatgh5rkqenx *P.S. I will leave each of the images here for medical and budget details.*