Could a Miracle be Possible?
Stories | July 23, 2020
The sight of the CBM partner Eye Hospital, based in a remote region of Nepal, inspired hope and optimism in five-year old Sudip and his father Sher Bahadur.
Sudip’s eyesight had deteriorated to the point he could no longer attend school, socialise with his friends or play with his siblings. The little boy and his parents longed for him to be able to do the everyday things he previously took for granted, which had been taken from him without warning from the age of three.
Sudip and his family had been referred to the CBM partner Eye Hospital by CBM field worker Parshuram, who learned about the boy’s challenges and visited him in his remote village.
After performing a basic vision test on Sudip, Parshuram told the family said believed he had cataracts in both eyes and needed urgent intervention.
Cataracts are the leading cause of blindness and responsible for more than half [51 per cent] the cases of blindness around the world – the majority of cases occurring in developing countries.
Fortunately, Parshuram said the Eye Hospital would be able to complete a detailed examination and perform surgery that would give him a chance to return to school.
A Miracle was on the horizon.
Sudip and Sher Bahadur travelled more than six hours via foot, bus and rickshaw to the hospital where the prognosis was as positive as they could have hoped for.
“The cataract is not yet very mature but at a good stage when they should be removed. If treated now, the boy has chances of good vision. I’m hopeful he will be able to see much better after surgery and attend school very soon,” said ophthalmologist Rajan Lumar Labh.
Detecting cataracts early in children is crucial, as it allows a chance for treatment before the issue worsens.
As performing cataract surgery on both eyes simultaneously leaves patients at risk of infection, two separate surgeries were arranged. Sudip first needed to take antibiotics to clear a small infection in his left eye.
On the day of the first surgery, Sudip walked hand-in-hand with his father towards the operating theatre, with a clear understanding this could be a life-changing experience.
“The doctor will make me sleep and heal my eyesight… after that I can see everything clearly,” he said.
On this particular day, there were seven children and around 180 adults scheduled for eye surgery in the busy hospital.
The procedure ran smoothly and Sudip spent the night with a patch over the operated eye. The next day, when the patch was removed, he and his father were overcome with emotion when Sudip could see his father’s face clearly for the first time in two years.
Weeks later, the second surgery was a success and Sudip was prescribed a new pair of glasses.
A plan was put in place for the boy to return to school and see his friends. He couldn’t have be happier – after two years filled with challenges, Sudip could finally imagine a different future.
This Miracles Day, you can help give a child like Sudip the miracle gift of sight-saving surgery with a $33 donation.
https://www.cbm.org.au/stories/could-a-miracle-be-possible
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