The moment a seven-year-old boy sees clearly for the first time has been captured in a video by the charity that gave him free surgery.
Surgeons from international charity Mercy Ships believe Mamadou, who lives in Sierra Leone, would have gone blind entirely if he had not had his bilateral cataracts removed. “In the UK, babies are about six weeks old when they receive a cataract operation,” explains volunteer Paediatric Ophthalmologist Dr Tim Lavy from Glasgow. “But in sub-Saharan Africa, children like Mamadou can be left for years without medical intervention. Effectively blind from birth.”
Dr Tim Lavy, who worked for 19 years at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Glasgow, is now semi-retired and spent time volunteering for Mercy Ships on board the Global Mercy in Sierra Leone. It was there that he oversaw Mamadou’s operation, performed by volunteer ophthalmic surgeon from Lithuania, Dr Paulius Rudalevicius.
Mamadou’s mother, Salematu, discovered that her little boy, who was born with bilateral cataracts, was unable to see well from the moment he started walking as he 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. At seven years old, his poor vision meant he still couldn't read or write. His eyeballs moved sporadically as he looked around.
Dr Paulius Rudalevicius 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,” the concerned mother said.
Seven-year-old Mamadou was most affected whenever the sun was out, as the light inhibited his movements. His future looked bleak as he faced discrimination and without sight, he would find it hard to get an education or a job. Mamadou’s family 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 onboard. Coincidentally, this uncle received a hernia surgery from Mercy Ships many years ago.
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,” Dr Rudalevicius shared. “If the cataracts are not removed soon enough, the brain can never learn to see, even if the cataracts are removed.”
According to the World Economic Forum, 2021, 60 per cent of the world’s blind live in sub-Saharan Africa, China, and India. 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.
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 who 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.
“It is very moving doing the ward rounds and seeing children, like Mamadou, responding to their surroundings for the first time when the eye patches come off,” says Dr Tim Lavy.
A few hours after his eye patches were removed, Mamadou was given a pair of UV sunglasses to help stabilise his new vision. He also received crayons and paper to do some colouring, 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: “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 hope that Mamadou will one day grow up to become a medical doctor and make a difference of his own.
