When I received the email confirming my acceptance to volunteer at Sankara Eye Hospital in Bangalore, I had certain expectations. I was excited to shadow some of the country's top ophthalmologists and learn about the various departments essential to eye care and health. I knew that through volunteering, I would gain valuable knowledge about the eye, which I hoped would aid me in my future career path and daily life. However, looking back, what I am most grateful for are the interactions I had with the patients.

While I knew that the hospital treated many underprivileged patients, I never thought that I would interact with them as closely as I did. Speaking with these patients stirred many emotions within me, but it filled me with gratitude for the experience. The sense of happiness in their eyes—knowing that an issue they had been dealing with for a long time was finally cured without imposing a financial burden on them—was one of the most rewarding parts of my time at Sankara.

One case that particularly moved me involved a six-year-old boy named Jeshan, who had been admitted for cataract surgery. His mother had searched tirelessly for a hospital that could help her son, but every place she visited quoted a price beyond her reach. Nearly defeated, she attended a Sankara Eye Camp, hoping to find treatment. Within a week, her son’s life—and her own—had been transformed. As I spoke with her, she expressed her deep gratitude to Sankara for the care they provided. She praised the healthcare workers who kept her son happy and lighthearted through such an intense surgery, as well as the clean facilities that made her feel confident in the care her son was receiving. By the end of my time at Sankara, I realized that every patient I met had a similar story to tell.

In addition to my interactions at the hospital, I also observed the impact of the hospital’s outreach programs. At the eye camps, I saw community members go door-to-door, encouraging their neighbors to visit the SEF eye care truck for a checkup. It was inspiring to see how the community came together to support the elderly and those in need of care. Watching these patients come into the hospital for treatment in the following days was equally rewarding. There was a sense of recognition and optimism in their eyes that I will never forget.

During my spare time at the hospital, I wrote case studies on previous patients. As I read about their stories and how their lives had changed since receiving surgery, I realized that despite their different backgrounds—whether in occupation, location, or life circumstances—they were all connected by their renewed sense of purpose. The hardship they had endured due to their eye problems had disappeared. Compared to their testimonies before surgery, the youthfulness in their behaviors stood out in every case study I encountered.
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When I applied to volunteer at Sankara Eye Hospital, my primary goal was to determine whether medicine was the right career path for me and if I genuinely wanted to become a doctor. After witnessing the joy in the patients and the dedication of the healthcare workers—doctors, nurses, and administrators—I am now certain that this is the field I want to be a part of. For that realization, I am deeply grateful to Sankara Eye Hospital and Foundation for the opportunity they gave me.