Toffa

For 80-year-old Toffa, losing her sight meant losing her independence. “When I could see, I could plant peanuts and corn. I could plant peppers,” Toffa said “These are things I used to do.”

Toffa was always very independent, but because cataracts were now blocking her vision, her life was dramatically changed. Not only was she not able to plant any more, she was no longer able to do anything by herself. Toffa had become totally dependent on her grandson, Jean, making her feel like a burden. “It hurts me a lot that she can’t see,”Jean said about the woman who raised him. “She’s all my life.”  ​​​Toffa’s family was searching for a way to heal her eyes when they heard about Mercy Ships. Jean brought his grandmother to the Africa Mercy to be examined by the volunteer doctors. Soon, Toffa was scheduled for surgery to remove the cataract from her eye.

Before her surgery, Toffa and the other patients waiting for their operations were entertained with songs and dancing, but she refused to join in — insisting on waiting until she could see again. After a half-hour procedure and a day of rest, the big moment finally arrived.  Slowly Toffa’s bandages were removed, and as she opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was her grandson, smiling at her. Realizing she was seeing Jean once again after years of darkness, she began to dance in celebration!  “I can see everyone, I can see everything,” she said. “If you opened my heart and went inside, you’d see it’s full of joy! Now I can say, ‘Come with me, come with me, let’s go to the field!’”