“I cannot remember life before my blindness” 17
year old Frank confessed, as he tried to recall how the world around him
used to look before his cataracts developed at the age of six.
Despite describing himself as a sad person, his family cherishes the
memories of the bright and lively little boy he used to be, joking
around and making people laugh. But even those precious moments were
tarnished with the sadness of watching him reluctantly leave school,
abandon his dreams and lose his sense of identity due to his
deteriorating sight: “He was the brightest in his class, an outgoing and
boisterous child” said his older brother, Roland.
After his mother left the family, Frank was raised in a house of hard
working men who spent their days fetching wood on the river. But Frank
did not join his brothers, nor did he dream about becoming a mechanic
like he used to. In fact, Frank could not even cross the road opposite
his house by himself and hadn’t tried since he left school 11 years ago:
“When I was sent home from school, I felt so small. I could only go
back when my sight had improved – but I couldn’t get surgery”.
Frank’s cataracts had started when he was young, limiting his
independence and shrinking his world. Left untreated, cataracts in
children can affect the success of any future surgery. If formed during
key stages of growth, the part of the brain that works in conjunction
with sight does not develop. Remove the cataracts early enough and the
brain has a chance to catch up. If not, there’s a possibility it may
never develop at all.
This highlights the importance of Mercy Ships
reaching people like Frank as soon as possible – people who could not
afford nor access the time sensitive surgery they needed as children:
“The fact is that even though pediatric eye disease is less common than
adult eye disease, it results in as many years of disability” said
Ophthalmic surgeon Dr. Glenn Strauss. “In fact, blindness in children
under 5 years old has a 50% mortality rate due to injury and neglect or
abandonment”.
Frank sat alone day-in-day-out, listening to the empty sounds of the
television. But one day he heard something that caught his attention –
an advertisement for Mercy Ships. Frank was immediately taken by his
family to register as a patient and his hunger for independence was
born: “Frank stood out to me at screening and stayed on my mind all day”
said Eye Screening Nurse, Amber Schimd. “It made me think, what would
it be like to be a teenager and blind? He doesn’t even know what he
looks like! What about his future? His education? I cannot imagine what
it must be like”.
With no medical history or notes, the eye team was unable to know the
full extent of Frank’s story and was therefore unable to fully predict
the outcome or success of his operation. Following surgery, the team
quickly noticed that although there was an improvement in his sight, it
was not as significant as hoped: “We realized it was most likely that
his cataracts had been there longer than we thought, perhaps even from
birth” said Dr. Glenn, “Frank was one survivor who could have had his
vision fully restored if we had reached him even 5 years sooner”.
But Frank slowly began to recognize text on paper and faces in
pictures that before were a blur of light – a minor improvement for
some, but a major impact in Frank’s search for independence. Think about
the effect of not feeling safe, to even walk across the street – but
now you can. The sense of isolation that you felt, that you were bound
to someone for help – but now you’re not. The stick that you needed to
feel your way around – but now you don’t: “Thanks to Mercy Ships my
sight is better than before and I thank them for that” said Frank. “Now I
can cross the street alone, my dream is to go further – to places I
have never been before”.
That same teenage boy is now able to start dreaming once again about a
future beyond watching T.V in the darkness: “I think this is a great
picture of the independence that this cataract surgery has brought for
him.” said Dr. Glenn. “What a change in his life. I think if he has the
determination and the courage to be a mechanic as he says, I bet he can
do it.”
