A 7-year-old boy in West Africa who was going blind can now see once more, due to life-changing eye surgical procedure offered by the Mercy Ships charity.
Mamadou, whose final identify was not offered, was born with bilateral cataracts, a situation the place cataracts develop in each eyes earlier than or quickly after beginning.
When left untreated, the situation can result in whole blindness in some circumstances.
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“We suspected that the cataracts were there already when Mamadou was born, but slowly they got worse,” Paul Rudalevicius, an eye fixed surgeon who volunteers with Mercy Ships in Sierra Leone, advised Fox Information Digital.
A 7-year-old boy in West Africa who was going blind can now see once more, due to life-changing eye surgical procedure offered by the Mercy Ships charity. (SWNS)
Inherited cataracts and malnutrition are widespread causes of the situation, the physician stated.
Mamadou, who’s from Waterloo, Sierra Leone, “wasn’t able to see much of anything,” based on Ella Hawthorne, an optometrist who additionally works with Mercy Ships in Sierra Leone.
“He could tell there was a light that was being turned on, but he couldn’t even really tell that a hand was being waved in front of his face,” she advised Fox Information Digital.
“He really couldn’t see the world around him very much.”
Mamadou’s mom, Salematu, recalled the poor remedy her son obtained attributable to his poor eyesight.
Mamadou is pictured earlier than receiving remedy from the charity Mercy Ships. He struggled to stroll as a result of he would journey over objects, and he could not see effectively sufficient to learn or write. (SWNS)
“His friends always provoked him, and also laughed at him because of his condition,” she advised Fox Information Digital. “He was going to school, but could not see or write clearly.”
The boy was additionally having bother strolling and selecting up objects, and was very delicate to daylight.
A life-changing surgical procedure
Salematu tried a number of occasions over time to get her son the surgical procedure he wanted, however native hospitals wouldn’t do it. Over time, his imaginative and prescient worsened.
Then Mercy Ships docked its hospital ship, the World Mercy, in Freetown, Sierra Leone, to offer protected surgical procedures to residents totally free — and Mamadou was chosen.
“It was so wonderful to see him looking around and starting to perceive the world.”
Hawthorne recalled her first encounter with the boy.
“Meeting Mamadou during patient selection here in Sierra Leone was just special,” she advised SWNS.
“He is wonderful and quiet at first, but once you get to know him more, he comes out of his shell and engages you.”
After the surgical procedure, docs gave Mamadou a pair of UV sun shades to put on as he acquired used to his new imaginative and prescient. (SWNS)
Time was of the essence for Mamadou’s surgical procedure, Dr. Rudalevicius famous. “If the cataracts are not removed soon enough, the brain can never learn to see.”
On Feb. 7, assisted by a crew of medical volunteers, the physician carried out a small incision cataract surgical procedure.
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Though the process took solely two hours, it “represented the start of a new vision and future for Mamadou,” based on a Mercy Ships press launch.
When the attention patches have been eliminated the subsequent day, it was a little bit complicated and overwhelming at first, Mercy Ships famous, which is a regular response in kids.
Mamadou is pictured after receiving eye surgical procedure from the charity Mercy Ships. Time was of the essence for Mamadou’s surgical procedure, his physician famous. (SWNS)
“He looked around, trying to understand new information and identify unexpected objects,” the discharge stated.
“His brain was not yet used to processing such a high level of visual activity — but after seeing the crowd around him smile and wave, Mamadou quickly joined in, sharing his bright and endearing smile in return.”
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Docs gave Mamadou a pair of UV sun shades to put on as he acquired used to his new imaginative and prescient. The boy started taking part in with toys, coloring and driving a toy bike across the ward.
Mamadou receives surgical remedy from the charity Mercy Ships in October 2024. (SWNS)
“Being able to witness the patches being removed from his eyes was such an absolute blessing and a privilege,” Hawthorne advised Fox Information Digital.
“It was so wonderful to see him looking around and starting to perceive the world and being able to absorb some of the information around him.”
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“It was so special, and you could see the joy that had started to build up inside him. It was a really good reminder of why I’m here and the impact our work is having.”
Trying forward
A month after Mamadou’s imaginative and prescient was restored, the boy and his mom returned to the ship for a “celebration of sight, a ceremony for patients who have received successful eye surgeries,” based on Mercy Ships.
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Salematu shared her reduction and happiness with the result.
“My son can see me!” she stated. “My son can go back to the community and interact with other children!”
After the surgical procedure, the boy started taking part in with toys, coloring and driving a toy bike across the ward. (SWNS)
“Unlike before, Mamadou can now move around without jumping his steps or falling, even when the sun is out.”
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Salematu hopes that her son will someday develop as much as turn into a medical physician and make a distinction of his personal, based on the discharge.
Dr. Rudalevicius added to Fox Information Digital, “I hope that he will be able to attend school, to learn, to play with other children, and in the future maybe support his family.”
