Four-year-old Joy was born with cataracts in both eyes. The
whole family loves this lively, happy, little girl dearly,
especially her grandmother who cares for her. Sadly, in this part
of the world, a blind child's chances of survival are slim.
An eye operation can cost as little as $25. But for Joy's
family, this is an enormous sum of money - they would never be able
to pay for surgery.
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Although Joy's family is extremely poor, she is a happy and
independent little girl. She loves to play in the sun - holding her
hands close to her face. She wriggled her fingers, causing the
light to ripple over her face. You could see she was having fun.
Her family tells us: Joy plays with the sun because its great light
is the only thing she can see.
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The Foundation found Joy and arranged her cataract surgery at
Sabatia Eye Hospital. Joy isn't afraid; even before the operation,
she was chatting and singing. She never complained - she didn't
flinch when the anaesthetic needle went into her arm. Even her
surgeon, Dr Mundia, remarked on how courageous she was. |
Joy's surgeon, Dr Mundia, is one of only three people in Kenya
trained to perform this poperation on a child's eye. Just a day
after surgery, her patches come off.
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Minutes later, Joy is exploring the hospital ward. She stares in
wonder at her mirror reflection. "Thanks to your generosity, we
have given her 75 years of good vision and good life," says Dr
Mundia.
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A few days later, once Joy had rested, we took her home. Joy
rushed to hug her mother, who is finishing her education so she can
get a job and provide for her daughter. She was delighted to see
that the operation was a success - Joy's future is looking so much
brighter now. Soon, she'll be starting school herself.
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