Donor Story: Flash Campaign from the Field
Moved by the joy of sight-restoration, HCP Board Member, Dr. Guy Kezirian starts fundraiser during outreach event
The Himalayan Cataract Project (HCP) would like to introduce you to HCP Board Member, volunteer and famed refractive surgeon and entrepreneur, Dr. Guy Kezirian. Dr. Kezirian has contributed to the efforts of HCP for many years through his expertise in both business and medicine, but this April he went above and beyond.
While participating in a cataract outreach event in southeastern Ghana, Dr. Kezirian was able to see the great need Koforidua, and the whole region, has for sight-restoring surgeries. So Dr. Kezirian turned to HCP’s peer-to-peer fundraising platform, Crowdrise. Through the website, Dr. Kezirian was able to share his experiences, including some inspiring stories from patients that came to the outreach event. One twenty-one year old Ghanaian who went blind at sixteen, read “cure blindness” on Dr. Kezirian’s scrubs when his sight was restored, and quickly promised to return to school and university. In Dr. Kezirian’s words, “Needless to say, we were moved.”
While Dr. Kezirian was moved by this young man, his passion for ophthalmology long predated his trip to Ghana. As an ophthalmologist and current board member, you would be hard-pressed to find a more knowledgeable person on both the surgical and business components of HCP. Dr. Kezirian’s expertise makes his fundraising efforts all the more genuine and moving, and people seem to agree, as seen by the $34,650 raised in just one month. When the material cost of surgery is $25 per case, this fund makes a massive difference.
Dr. Kezirian’s devotion to his work, and to the people and places he has helped is clear, “Restoring these patients to sight is pure joy.” Dr. Kezirian has inspired the same passion in others, whether they contribute $25 or $10,000, any amount makes a difference, “Those who donate any amount will receive the satisfaction of supporting their tireless and selfless colleagues who make this possible. The collaborative power of ophthalmologists working together can support the elimination of needless blindness in Ghana, a beautiful and welcoming country!”
To start your own HCP fundraiser, please visit: www.crowdrise.com/cureblindness
