Boy, 7, facing blindness gets life-changing eye surgery: ‘Such a blessing’

A 7-year-old boy in West Africa who was going blind can now see again, thanks to life-changing eye surgery provided by the Mercy Ships charity.

Mamadou, whose last name was not provided, was born with bilateral cataracts, a condition in which cataracts develop in both eyes before birth or soon afterward.

When left untreated, the condition can lead to total blindness in some cases.

“We suspected that the cataracts were there already when Mamadou was born, but slowly they got worse,” Dr. Paul Rudalevicius, an eye surgeon who volunteers with Mercy Ships in Sierra Leone, told Fox News Digital.

Inherited cataracts and malnutrition are common causes of the condition, the doctor said.

Mamadou, who is from Waterloo, Sierra Leone, “wasn’t able to see much of anything,” according to Ella Hawthorne, an optometrist who also 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 told Fox News Digital.

“He really couldn’t see the world around him very much.”

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“His friends always provoked him, and also laughed at him because of his condition ,” she told Fox News Digital. “He was going to school, but could not see or write clearly.”

The boy was also having trouble walking and picking up objects, and was very sensitive to sunlight.

Salematu tried several times over the years to get her son the surgery he needed, but local hospitals would not do it. Over time, his vision worsened.

Then Mercy Ships docked its hospital ship, the Global Mercy, in Freetown, Sierra Leone, to provide safe surgeries to residents for free — and Mamadou was selected.

Hawthorne recalled her first encounter with the boy.

“Meeting Mamadou during patient selection here in Sierra Leone was just special,” she told 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.”

Time was of the essence for Mamadou’s surgery, Dr. Rudalevicius noted.

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“If the cataracts are not removed soon enough, the brain can never learn to see.”

On Feb. 7, assisted by a team of medical volunteers, the doctor performed a small incision cataract surgery.

Although the procedure took only two hours, it “represented the start of a new vision and future for Mamadou,” according to a Mercy Ships press release.

When the eye patches were removed the next day, it was a little confusing and overwhelming at first, Mercy Ships noted, which is a normal reaction in children.

“He looked around, trying to understand new information and identify unexpected objects,” the release said.

“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.”

Doctors gave Mamadou a pair of UV sunglasses to wear as he got used to his new vision.

The boy began playing with toys, coloring and riding a toy motorcycle around the ward.

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“Being able to witness the patches being removed from his eyes was such an absolute blessing and a privilege,” Hawthorne told Fox News 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.”

“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.”

A month after Mamadou’s vision was restored, the boy and his mother returned to the ship for a “celebration of sight, a ceremony for patients who have received successful eye surgeries,” according to Mercy Ships.

Salematu shared her relief and happiness with the outcome.

“My son can see me!” she said. “My son can go back to the community and interact with other children!”

“Unlike before, Mamadou can now move around without jumping his steps or falling, even when the sun is out.”

Salematu hopes that her son will one day grow up to become a medical doctor and make a difference of his own, according to the release.

Dr. Rudalevicius added to Fox News 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.”

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