Mary is young and had been at school until just over a year ago. Now she is totally blind. The brittle undiagnosed Diabetes had metabolically robbed her of her sight in a matter of months. Her sugar was so high when she came to Nkhoma, we had to spend 2 weeks controlling it even before it was safe to think of operating.
Mary with white diabetic cataracts - Photo: Roger Loguarro
With the help of the doctors in the general hospital, she did extremely well. She felt much better, less tired, but was still blind. Eventually after 12 days it was her time for surgery.
I felt very sorry for Mary, as she is so young and was doing well at school until relatively quickly her sight was lost. She can barely move around now, and constantly needs help. Of course school has been out of the question for her for the past year.
I don’t really see that many people with Diabetes in Malawi.
Meeting Mary on the waiting line
I was a bit scared when operating, as I wan’t sure how far advanced the diabetes in the eye was, but after the first operation all was well.
Half way there, and happy
In the end a small miracle happened. I was scared that the diabetes had not only resulted in cataracts, but had also affected the retina. The surgery went very well, the Nkhoma team were awesome in their care, and Mary’s sight was totally restored. I will try and visit her in her village near the south Lake Malawi lakeshore later this year, and we are helping her with her diabetic medications so she should be back at the hospital in a month or so for a check up as well.
I felt so thankful that Mary had found us, and we’d been able to help. I really hope that her life carries on in the way she planned. She was so excited to head home and celebrate.
Mary, ready to take go home to Lake Malawi, 3 hours drive away
I said goodbye to Mary on a Tuesday, and she travelled home with the Nkhoma ambulance early the next morning. I’ll tell you, and I am so happy for her!
Sambani
I couldn’t quite believe what I was hearing! It was such a great moment for Sambani, and he was so honest. I met Sambani two days before, indeed depressed and sad. Dr Ute Wiehler has operated his first eye, and I did his second cataract operation two days later. All went well, even better than anticipated! I now saw him playing skittles with Coke bottle tops in the eye hospital courtyard with another boy who was staying in the hospital with his mother.
Sambani is from Kalonga Village in Lilongwe District. He lives with his parents and four siblings. He had been blind for two years, and had stopped going to school last year. He had been doing well at school, and told me “I was an intelligent boy!” He was in standard 4 but his low vision “made me to be a useless boy” he said. I couldn’t believe what he was saying.
Sambani in the Clinic