Five-year-old Dinesh rubbed his eye while handling a paan sachet, which contained chunna (white limestone powder, also used for whitewashing). The eye became so watery and red that he had to be rushed to the hospital. The injury led to severe loss of vision.

Fortunately for him, science threw up an answer. The doctors at L. V. Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, transferred stem cells to the boy's eye. Today, he can see and is careful not to touch stray paan packets.

When acid fell into 30-year-old Balaji's eye, he thought it was darkness at noon. The chemical worker's eyes burned and watered. Stem cell transplantation not just stemmed his increasing visual impairment but also now offers hope to others whose corneas are damaged.

Corneal damage through accidents accounts for approximately eight per cent of blindness worldwide. Stem cell transplantation can work well in case of superficial damage to the cornea due to dry eye related disorders, chemical or thermal injuries, ultraviolet and ionising radiation, contact lens use, surface tumours and some types of conjunctivitis.