I was 7 years old, when I had to come to the Eye Pavillion for surgery to correct a squint in my left eye. I had come from a small farming town (Biggar) to the Eye Pavillion, and was in the children’s ward for 4 days, then the women’s ward for 6 days. My family weren’t able to visit me, as I wasn’t near home. I was put in a cot! I felt I was too old for that!!

When I left to go home, I had glasses, but when I was in the hospital, I had stitches to keep my eye closed, and had to bathe it everyday with a wooden spoon wrapped in cotton wool.