She exhibits the hallmark signs of having limited or distorted vision: her eyes do not respond to motion, yet dart erratically to track the location of sounds and voices in her immediate vicinity.
In April 2014 at the Shandong Red Cross Eye Hospital, Shunwen was chosen as a teaching case in the glaucoma clinic as part of the Orbis program in Jinan, China. With advanced stage glaucoma, she needed surgery immediately.
A veteran Volunteer Faculty member, Dr. James Brandt of UC Davis, demonstrated to trainees in Jinan two different approaches to relieve Shunwen’s eyes from further damage. Post-operative care for these procedures is relatively more simple for patients to manage compared to a trabeculectomy, the standard surgical treatment for glaucoma in developing countries.