Good Reads: Before and After by Brian Mullaney, Co-Founder of Smile Train and WonderWork
The photo on the cover of this book shows Anita, a six-year-old girl from a small village outside Calcutta, in India, who was born blind. When this photo was taken, Anita had just had surgery to correct her vision.
She’s smiling because she’s seeing her mother—and the world—for the very first time. In the background, Anita’s sister, 12-year-old Sonia, is also having her bandages removed after undergoing surgery to restore her sight.
The world-renowned photographer Brent Stirton took this amazing photo.
In 2012, we commissioned Brent to go to India and capture the incredible experience of watching a blind child open her eyes and see for the first time.
Brent brought back stunning photos and also a powerful video called “First Sight” which has since gone viral. First Sight was the most most popular video on the National Geographic website for all of 2014.
To date, more than twenty million people have viewed this film, and more than a million dollars of donations have poured in from almost 100 countries as a result.
After this video was chosen as the Video Of The Month by National Geographic it went viral.
To date, it has been seen by 20+ million people and it has generated donations from almost 100 countries.
It was the most popular video on the Nat Geo website for more than a year.
Anita and Sonia had both been blind their entire lives solely because their parents were too poor to pay for a surgery that costs just $300.
There are more than 20 million blind children and adults around the world waiting for the same miracle surgery.
There are two million children with club feet waiting to be cured.
There are fifteen million children who have been severely burned and are in desperate need of reconstructive surgery.
None of these children will ever receive surgery unless someone helps them.
You can be that someone.
If Sonia and Anita’s story moves you—or if any of the other stories in this book do —I encourage you to go online and make a donation to charity.
With thanks,
Brian
