“On the operating table, the doctor told me that the cornea to be transplanted on me came from a far away country: Sri Lanka,” - a Chinese blogger writes about Sri Lanka.
I have met a lot of people. And among them, there is one I will never forget.
In 2018, after posting the experience of a Skydive Para motor tour in Koggala on my blog, a follower of mine showed strong interest in participating. However, he could not make it as his travel time was not right. (The Skydive project was not a regular project throughout the year, only occasionally operating on a conditional basis).
Later, due to people’s enthusiastic response to the Para motor tour, the organizer extended the operation date, which happened to be during his travel period. He was very excited to sign up immediately. This time, we received a notice from the organizer that the program was bought out by a foreign MICE company.
Again he missed out.
However, this energetic follower who was willing to try fresh new things, and at the same time being very polite, always maintained a good attitude, which left a deep impression on me.
Story
Later, he travelled to Sri Lanka, and one day he left a message on the way: “Sister srilanka-nanggii (my blog name), when you are free, I would like to share with you my Sri Lanka story.”
“Please let me know.”
The following is his story:
“The story I promised: During my physical examination in October 2016, I found that my left eye could not see things clearly. No matter how hard I adjusted the spectacle diopters, it would not help.
I was diagnosed with keratoconus in the hospital. The disease is a genetic disorder that occurs occasionally in adolescents with a prevalence of 1 in 1,000.
Due to the late discovery, I underwent a left eye corneal lamellar transplant operation in Chengdu in February 2017. On the operating table, the doctor told me that this stranger’s cornea came from a far-away country, which I have never been to before: Sri Lanka.
Hello, dear stranger Sri Lankan.
Thank you. Because of you, now my eyes have been restored as before. Now I take your eyes to see your world. Tomorrow, I plan to go to the International Eye Bank - Eye Donation Society Sri Lanka to offer flowers. May Buddha bless you in all your reincarnation and your good Karma. May everything go well.”
Later, I saw in his wechat “Moments” (Chinese social media) that he did go to the International Eye Bank. This may be a special ritual for him.
He posted: “Sri Lanka International Eye Bank was founded in 1961 by Sri Lankan Dr. Hudson Silva. Since 1964, the amount of cornea donated in Sri Lanka has exceeded domestic demand. By 2014, it had donated over 77,000 corneas to 136 cities in over 60 countries all around the world.
As a young medical officer, Dr. Hudson Silva was interested in helping the blind and in 1958 published an article in the newspapers requesting eyes from donors and the response was beyond expectations He is the pioneer in introducing eye donation as a national habit in Sri Lanka and in 1961 he founded Sri Lanka Eye Donation Society.
In this country of only 20 million people, people devoutly follow their beliefs, and more than 15 million people have registered to donate their remains after death. And the corneas in these remains are sent here by tens of thousands of rural doctors on their motorcycles or tuk-tuks, and then sent to the world.”
Finally, he said: “When I came here, the birds were singing and flower fragrance was in the crystal clear air. It turned out to be a place not as grand as I had imagined. There were only a few workers and an ambulance in front of the door.
But the teardrop island of the Indian Ocean are the eyes of the world.”
Sri Lanka’s international eye bank is world famous.
The then President of Sri Lanka and the current Prime Minister, Mahinda Rajapaksa, visited China many years ago and donated two corneas as a national gift to my country, which has become a much-told story in the diplomatic history of the two countries. The biggest reason for Sri Lankans’ enthusiasm for corneal donation is their devout religious belief, which is an advantage unmatched by any other country. A land like no other.
Well-known Chinese ophthalmologist Dr. Yao Xiaoming said: “I have been promoting the exchanges between China and Sri Lanka eye banks and the people since 2000, and have been to Sri Lanka twenty or thirty times. I have learned a lot of excellent qualities from the Sri Lankan people, such as their dedication and good spirit.”