The good news is that ROP is entirely preventable. Fortunately, this was the case for baby Gabriel and his mother, Elizabeth.
Born early at 29 weeks in rural Latin America where 70% of premature infants do not survive due to a lack of adequate care, Elizabeth worried about the fate of her precious newborn. She recalled:
“We didn’t have any hopes. He was really tiny and very delicate… It was fear, it was sadness. It was feeling so empty.”
While fighting for his life at just 17 days old, Gabriel tested positive for ROP—and needed immediate care or he would go blind. The rural hospital could not provide the proper care he needed, so he was transferred to an Orbis partner hospital, where his vision was saved with the help of Orbis supporters.
Gabriel was one of the lucky ones, but there are still thousands of pre-term babies who go blind each year from ROP because they don’t receive help in time.
Your generous donation today—multiplied three times!—can help save the sight of newborns like Gabriel. Donate today.
In gratitude and partnership,
Team Orbis
P.S Don’t forget! Your gift will be tripled up to $30,000 thanks to a generous Orbis supporter. Don’t wait—donate now before this offer ends on April 20th.
