Philomena says ‘my eyes are magic now‘ after having sight restoring surgery, thanks to our kind supporters.
Ana barely had a chance to hold her newborn daughter, Philomena, before nurses noticed something was wrong. The doctors told Ana that her baby girl had cataracts in both eyes and at best, Philomena would only be able to see light.
As she grew up in her remote village in Fiji, Philomena’s poor sight made milestones like learning to walk extremely hard. She struggled to walk straight, having to turn her head and look out of the corner of one eye, to find her way using light and shadows. Over time, Philomena adapted to her blindness and learnt to move confidently around the house. But blindness kept four-year-old Philomena’s world smaller than it could be.
Accessing quality eye care is challenging for many Fijians. For children, eye surgery to restore their sight can only take place at the Foundation-supported Pacific Eye Institute in Suva.
The Children’s Outreach that Philomena attended, held at the Pacific Eye Institute, was the second ever of its kind.
Initially, Philomena’s parents were very apprehensive when she was offered treatment through the Children’s Outreach, as very few people in their village have had any sort of surgery.
But Dr Elenoa explained the surgery to her family in reassuring detail – and very early on a September morning, nervous but excited, they set out for the surgery that would change Philomena’s life.
After the surgery, Philomena could barely wait to remove the bandages. And the next morning, when they came off, she finally got to look at her mum’s loving face.
Since the surgery, Philomena’s curiosity and confidence have soared.
“She didn’t stop talking and singing all the way home,” said Ana. “She’s very happy and energetic, so excited to learn all about the world around her. It gives us so much hope for her future.”
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