The pictures never do it justice. The words never make it real enough.
During the past two weeks in Ethiopia, I've seen some wonderful life-changing stories play out. I was lucky to work with the pediatric ophthalmologists, so all of the patients were young children with their whole lives ahead of them. It's really gratifying to think how the difference they made for our little patients will carry forward as those children grow up.
The first Monday, I met Zeineb*. She's ridiculously cute. Her mother is a widow who thought that there would never be help available for Zeineb's eyes, and even if it were, she wouldn't be able to afford it.
By the end of the week, Zeineb had eye-muscle surgery to straighten her eyes, and a pair of glasses to help her focus better so that her alignment can stay straight.
On Wednesday, there was Mubarek, the bravest kid I've ever met. Just to come to the ORBIS screening, he and his dad had to walk 2 hours from their village to a neighboring town, then spend a week's wages to ride a bus for 8 hours into Addis Ababa. He has Duane's Syndrome Type 3, which prevents his left eye from moving properly when he tries to look from side-to-side.
We made sure they had a place to stay in the local hospital, and by the next afternoon he had eye-muscle surgery to help both of his eyes line up straight in primary gaze.
The next Monday, I met Fetya, a 2 year old boy who was born with a cataract in the left eye. If congenital cataracts aren't removed in time, the brain never learns to process the visual signals that the eye sends it. Fety had his surgery the next day. I hope the surgery came in time for him to get some of his sight back.
I also met Atiya, who is 6 months old and blind from congenital cataracts in both eyes. The local surgeon plans to use the new methods he learned through ORBIS to help this little guy.
During the past two weeks in Ethiopia, I've seen some wonderful life-changing stories play out. I was lucky to work with the pediatric ophthalmologists, so all of the patients were young children with their whole lives ahead of them. It's really gratifying to think how the difference they made for our little patients will carry forward as those children grow up.
The first Monday, I met Zeineb*. She's ridiculously cute. Her mother is a widow who thought that there would never be help available for Zeineb's eyes, and even if it were, she wouldn't be able to afford it.
On Wednesday, there was Mubarek, the bravest kid I've ever met. Just to come to the ORBIS screening, he and his dad had to walk 2 hours from their village to a neighboring town, then spend a week's wages to ride a bus for 8 hours into Addis Ababa. He has Duane's Syndrome Type 3, which prevents his left eye from moving properly when he tries to look from side-to-side.
We made sure they had a place to stay in the local hospital, and by the next afternoon he had eye-muscle surgery to help both of his eyes line up straight in primary gaze.
The next Monday, I met Fetya, a 2 year old boy who was born with a cataract in the left eye. If congenital cataracts aren't removed in time, the brain never learns to process the visual signals that the eye sends it. Fety had his surgery the next day. I hope the surgery came in time for him to get some of his sight back.
I also met Atiya, who is 6 months old and blind from congenital cataracts in both eyes. The local surgeon plans to use the new methods he learned through ORBIS to help this little guy.
The whole thing really makes you realize how lucky we are, doesn't it? I wish there were a way to make things right for every kid in the world.
(*Pictures and names used with permission)
love, love, love this post.
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