When Erna Takazawa was about 15 years old, growing up in the Pacific island nation of Samoa, her older sister started having vision problems.
"My parents took her to our national hospital and, at the time, the hospital did not have the resources or the capacity to carry out a comprehensive eye exam," said the 30-year-old, who was born to a Japanese father and a Samoan mother.
From the hospital, the Takazawa family were referred to an American man who was providing unlicensed optometry services to the community, charging 700 tala (¥28,173) for a simple pair of glasses.