With clear eyes, Abdu can do anything!
“Kids” and “cataracts” aren’t two words one hears very often in the same sentence. For one thing, the young person having the vision difficulty might not make that much of it, assuming everyone sees objects surrounded by a big fuzzy blur. They may be shy about bringing it up, or a little freaked out that they can’t see the front of the classroom or aren’t as adept at sports as they’d like to be.
Abdu is a quiet boy who likes to ride his bike around his hometown of Kampala, Uganda. When he was seven years old, he told his mom Topista about the trouble he was having with reading. A test run reading one of his books aloud confirmed Abdu’s assertions (and Topista’s concerns). They went to the local health care provider, who diagnosed his cataracts. Not great news. Even less great was the cost of the surgery, which was too much for Topista to absorb.
More than 90 million children and adolescents live with some form of visual impairment. Most live in areas of the world where even the most basic eye care services continue to be out of reach. Topista learned about Benedictine Eye Hospital, four hours away in Tororo, through Seva-supported KCCO (Kilimanjaro Center for Community Ophthalmology). They removed Abdu’s cataracts for free.
On the way back from the hospital, Topista and Abdu did another eye test. Pointing to a sign, she asked Abdu if he could read it. He could read it, spell it – it was easy with his renewed eyesight.
Abdu, now 10 years old, still finds happiness riding his bike. According to the principal of his school, Abdu’s grades and attention have improved markedly. Abdu cares about justice, and aspires to be a lawyer. Through his clear eyes, Topista finds her own happiness.
