Siblings are seeing Christmas for the first time
Born blind…
Not Rehanna Ramsay
The photo shows Ghanie’s siblings with the Optique Vision Care team (left to right) Madonna Narine (Optometrist), Dhani Narine (CEO, Optique), Dr. Shailendra Sugrim (Eye Surgeon), Divina Singh (Optometrist) and Nurse Amanda Jarvis (Nurse Ophthalmic).
Dr Shailendra Sugrim, Eye Surgeon, Ophthalmologist.
Congenital cataract, a condition in which the lens of the eye is exposed from birth that causes blindness.
Kaieteur News – Unlike most children, six-year-old Shenny-Ann, five-year-old Shelly-Ann, two-year-old Tariq and four-year-old Aaron are four children from Zeelugt, West Coast Demerara, who actually came to see and experience Christmas for the first time.
The four children are the offspring of Mr Ghanie and Miss Lisa Henry. All four of these siblings were born with congenital cataract, a condition in which the lens of the eye is exposed from birth which causes blindness.
In 50 per cent of children, only one eye can be affected and so the child can see clearly from the other eye. This usually causes parents not to recognize that the child has a problem in one eye. In the case of the Ghanie family, both eyes were affected in all four children. Therefore, none of the children have been able to see the world until now.
Their story was highlighted on social media in May 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. A video by “Sheikh and Sonia” highlighted the poor conditions in which their family lived. Ghanie, a practicing carpenter, was out of a job because of the pandemic and could not provide for his four children.
They lived in a 10’x10 ‘one-bedroom sink sheet hanger in the Zeelugt squat area. The shackles have one bed and hammock shared by the whole family of six with one table top kitchen.
Their story caught the eyes of many outreach organizations. Munesh Ruplall of Ready Mix Concrete reaches out to the family and can move the family towards rented accommodation.
We contacted Optique Vision Care – a leading provider of eye care service in Guyana that coordinates many charitable sight-saving cases. Optique Vision Care arranged for the children to be examined by a lead ophthalmologist (eye surgeon), Dr. Shailendra Sugrim.
The Ghanies lived in shackles in Zeelugt, West Coast Demerara.
Dr. confirmed that Sugrim found that the four children were blinded by cataracts congenital to both eyes. Further investigation found that the children’s mother and aunt of the children also suffered from a similar condition when they were younger. In light of this, this was ruled to be a condition inherited through the genes of the mother’s family. An examination of the mother’s eye also revealed that she suffered from low vision due to the long-term consequences of this condition.
Completely opaque congenital cataracts are treated by early surgery (cataract surgery to remove an opaque lens by replacing an artificial intraocular lens). Unlike adults with full-size eyes, children need special surgical instruments and techniques and most importantly need to undergo general anesthesia. When performed by an experienced surgeon, cataract removal is generally safe.
Dr. Sugrim has been performing pediatric cataract surgeries for the past 10 years and immediately volunteered to perform the procedures without charging any surgeon fee.
During the pandemic most hospitals had discontinued elective surgical procedures and so Dr. Sugrim underwent surgery for the three older siblings at Woodlands Hospital – a private institution in the city. Hospital fees and the cost of surgery and anesthesia were paid by Optique Vision Care and Mr. Ruplall. The youngest child’s surgery was scheduled for Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation. All pre-operative tests and preparation for the costs of surgery were provided by Optique Vision Care’s charitable program.
The treatment of congenital cataracts is usually long-term and children need regular follow-up care. Surgery is the first step in a long series of tasks to ensure vision is restored to these children.
After congenital cataract surgery, these children often need to be monitored for secondary complications such as strabismus (squint), glaucoma, detached retina, infection, post-operative inflammatory reactions, further surgery such as scarring and secondary intraocular lens implantation.
Post-surgical follow-up patients also need regular follow-up with pediatric optometrists as much as every six months to assess for glasses, contact lenses. One of the significant effects of congenital cataracts is amblyopia. Due to the inability to see objects in the early years of life, children do not “learn” to see and therefore their vision may be permanently blighted / reduced to what is referred to as a “lazy eye”. Close monitoring of these children will allow for treatment options such as patching, which encourages the child to repair eye and brain contact to improve vision clarity.
These children are continuously monitored by an ongoing team of ophthalmologists and optometrists (of which one pediatric optometrist, Ms Claudia Sanchez was integral). Regular checks for glasses, follow-up and glasses are provided free of charge by the charity program Optique Vision Care.
According to Dr. Sugrim, from birth to the age of eight, children’s eyes go through a phase where they are learning to see and this allows their eyes to develop a strong brain connection. Any obstruction in appearance (such as cataracts, trauma, eyelid abnormalities and refractive errors, etc.) can disrupt this learning process. Without treatment, cataracts lead to permanently defective brain-eye connections leading to a visually impaired life time. For this reason, it is important that congenital cataracts need to be detected early and treated as soon as possible to prevent permanent sight loss in children. A doctor’s examination, in infancy and childhood, can detect most congenital cataracts. Close observation by parents is also another way of detecting this condition.
A new lease on life is now being extended to the four Ghanie siblings who can now see their parents’ faces and see objects around them, which will allow them to have a better quality of life. This year is extra special as they will celebrate the joyful Christmas season with their gift of vision. This season, Nurse Amanda Jarvis and Nurse Welch – two of the nurses who assisted with their practices at Woodlands Hospital – have assembled a collection of clothes, toys, books and sweets for the four brothers sisters, who introduced them to the children at the Optique Vision East Street Care Office. During this term, Optique Vision Care’s charity program would like to encourage us all to continue to show compassion, kindness and charity to those less fortunate among us.