For seven years, Mamadou can now see the world

Highlights

• His future looked bleak as he faced discrimination and without sight, he would find it hard to get an education or a job
• 50 percent of the world’s blind suffer from cataracts which often require a simple procedure to repair, but most lack access to surgical care

By Felix

Since the seven-year-old Mamadou was born, he could not see properly because he was born with cataracts.

But his sight was restored for the first time in a video by the charity that gave him surgery.

Surgeons from international charity Mercy Ships believe Mamadou, who lives in Sierra Leone, would have lost his sight entirely if he had not had his bilateral cataracts removed.

His mother, Salematu, discovered that her little boy who was born with cataracts, was unable to see well from the moment he started walking as he struggled to pick up anything and always stumbled and fell.

Having to hold someone’s hand to walk, Mamadou struggled through childhood and school and other children did not treat him well due to his condition. His eyeballs moved sporadically as he looked around.

Dr. Paulius Rudalevicius, the volunteer ophthalmic surgeon from Lithuania, said: “We suspect that the bilateral cataracts were there at birth, and slowly got worse. So, he has some kind of vision, but the lenses inside are opaque. We call it nystagmus.”

Salematu tried to seek surgery for him at her local hospital but was told he was too young.

“Whenever I look at my son, I feel sad. I am not happy about his condition.”

Little Mamadou was most affected whenever the sun was out, as the light inhibited his movements.

Mamadou’s uncles were relentless in their search for a solution. Their efforts were unsuccessful until they heard from an older uncle that Mercy Ships was bringing its new hospital ship, the Global Mercy, to Sierra Leone to provide safe surgeries free of charge on board. Coincidentally, this uncle received a hernia surgery from Mercy Ships many years ago.

One of these uncles, Muhammed, accompanied Mamadou to the ship for his first appointment.

“I was so happy that [he] was selected. I know that after Mamadou regains his sight, he will achieve many things in the future by God’s grace.”  

Lasting smile: Mamadou with his mother

The volunteer ophthalmic team manager, Ella Hawthorne from New Zealand, still remembers her first encounter with little Mamadou.

She said: “Meeting Mamadou during patient selection here in Sierra Leone was just special. He is wonderful and quiet at first, but once you get to know him more, he comes out of his shell and engages you.”

Dr. Rudalevicius highlighted inherited cataracts and malnutrition as common causes of the condition. Surgery for the seven-year-old was not only going to be life–changing but also time-sensitive. He stated that without timely surgery, Mamadou would never be able to regain his sight.

“If we do surgery after 10 years, the result will not be so good because he will have severe amblyopia. “If the cataracts are not removed soon enough, the brain can never learn to see, even if the cataracts are removed,” Dr. Rudalevicius said.

According to the World Economic Forum, 2021 (https://apo-opa.co/3zIzE0z), 60 percent of the world’s blind live in sub-Saharan Africa, China, and India. Assisted by a team of medical volunteers, Dr. Rudalevicius performed a manual small incision cataract surgery. The operation took just two hours yet made a lifelong impact as it represented the start of a new vision and future for Mamadou.

Just the next day, Mamadou’s eye patches were removed. It was a joyous moment for everyone that witnessed it – but most especially, his mother. The elation on her face was palpable.

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

For Mamadou, it was a moment of slight confusion, as it marked the first time in his life he could see things so clearly. He looked around, trying to understand new information and identify unexpected objects.

Dr. Rudalevicius explained that this reaction is normal for children like Mamadou. “Usually, they are surprised and shocked after the surgery. If they can wave, point, or count fingers, that is a good sign.”

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, exuding his bright and endearing smile in return.

A few hours after his eye patches were removed, Mamadou was given a pair of sunglasses to help stabilize his new vision. He also received crayons and paper to do some coloring, a task he was more than happy to do alongside other children in the hospital ward.

He soon picked up a toy motorcycle and rode around the ward, putting his improved sight to use immediately by avoiding any obstacles in his way.

A month later, Mamadou returned to the ship with his mother for a celebration of sight, a ceremony for patients who have received successful ophthalmic surgeries. There, Salematu celebrated the tangible differences she’d seen in her son every day since his operation: “Mamadou can do work for me now. Unlike before, he can now move around without jumping his steps or falling, even when the sun is out,” she said.

Now free to dream about a better future for her son, Salematu shared her hopes that Mamadou will one day grow up to become a medical doctor and make a difference of his own.