By Ciara Baumgartner | Fundraising Officer
From a young age, Liyat had trouble focusing her eyes. As her strabismus got worse, she became at risk of having life-long vision problems. But at a recent Orbis in-person training program, Liyat had her vision corrected – she now has a future of healthy sight ahead!
Shortly after Liyat was born, her mother noticed something was wrong with Liyat's eye. Liyat had a condition known as strabismus, which causes the eyes to look in different directions when focusing. Strabismus typically occurs in early childhood and, if not treated early on in life, it can permanently affect a child's vision and even lead to blindness. At the age of three Liyat's was struggling so much, her mother decided to take her to the hospital to get her eyes screened.
Liyat was recommended by the doctors to start wearing glasses. The glasses helped for a period of time although they often broke. Her mother inquired about surgery to correct her strabismus, but local doctors had limited training and experience administering anaesthesia to young patients, and therefore couldn’t perform the surgery safely. Liyat's mother tried everything, travelled several hours to seek better treatment, however, they were unsuccessful in finding the corrective surgery to help her. But Liyat’s mother never gave up, so she was excited to learn about another chance to help her now 11-year-old daughter: an opportunity for Liyat’s eyes to be examined and corrected at Orbis’s recent training program at a local hospital near her home in Hawassa, Ethiopia.
The Orbis team worked alongside local providers to perform a successful strabismus surgery on Liyat. Liyat's vision was restored, and she no longer needs to wear glasses. Liyat's parents were overjoyed by the outcome of her surgery, describing it as a "miracle." Her mother shared her hope for other parents to get the same opportunity for their children who are struggling to get this kind of help.
And Liyat was thrilled to have her vision restored! She even surprised her friends when she no longer needed glasses. Liyat shared with us, “I have worn my eyeglasses for almost my entire life. And seeing me like this makes them happy, which made me happy!”
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