“I can see my embroidery again”

At almost 88, Matrona Andriivna has lost much of her strength, her health, and all close family – but she has never let go of her love for embroidery. Living in a geriatric boarding house in the Kyiv region, she struggled to see the patterns and stitches that once brought her joy daily. Through the program “Better Vision – Better Life”, she received free eyeglasses after a simple vision check, and suddenly her embroidery came back into focus. Her story shows how basic vision care can restore not only sight, but also dignity, comfort, and a cherished part of everyday life for older people in long-term care.

I can see my embroidery again

Before help arrived, Matrona Andriivna’s world had slowly become blurred. Almost 88 years old, she found it increasingly difficult to see the details of her embroidery – the colors, the outlines, the delicate stitches that had accompanied her since childhood. Without clear vision, she could no longer enjoy the one activity that gave structure and meaning to her days. What remained was a sense of loss: of health, of family, and now of the craft that connected her to her past.

Matrona Andriivna has spent a lifetime working hard in the fields of a collective farm in the village of Peremoha in the Kyiv region. Years of heavy physical labor undermined her health and left her unable to have children. After her husband died, she had no close relatives left to care for her. Kind neighbors helped her move to the local geriatric boarding house, where she arrived with only one truly precious possession: her embroidery, carefully folded and carried with her as a reminder of home, memory, and skill. In the boarding house, with limited mobility and few visitors, embroidery remained her main source of joy and self-expression – until her eyesight grew too weak.

The International Charitable Foundation “Contribution to Medicine Development” learned about the geriatric boarding house during a visit to the Peremoha primary care clinic. As part of its work to support older people, the team offered residents the chance to have their vision checked and receive eyeglasses free of charge. Although walking is difficult for Matrona Andriivna now, she gathered all her strength to go to the ophthalmologist with one clear wish in mind: to be able to see her embroidery again. The doctor carried out a basic eye examination and determined which glasses would best support her near-vision needs.

After the screening, Matrona Andriivna was provided with appropriate eyeglasses at no cost. The moment she put them on, her face lit up. The blurred threads and shapes on the fabric became distinct again; she could see the patterns and stitches that her hands knew so well. Overwhelmed with joy, she exclaimed: “I CAN SEE!” For her, this was more than a practical improvement. With the new glasses, she could once again spend hours with needle and thread, creating familiar designs, calming her mind, and feeling capable and independent in a place where many things are no longer in her control.

“Now I can see my embroidery again – this is my happiness,” she says quietly, holding the fabric in her hands. For Matrona Andriivna, the glasses restored not just sight, but daily comfort, emotional balance, and a renewed sense of dignity in her later years.

Stories like Matrona Andriivna’s show how a simple vision intervention can transform quality of life for older people living in long-term care facilities. By bringing basic eye examinations and free glasses directly to them, the “Better Vision – Better Life” initiative helps ensure that age, poverty and isolation do not mean giving up the activities that make life worth living.

This story is part of the “Better Vision – Better Life” program – more on Facebook: [Facebook link to the project].