The bright side of darkness: Kids who can’t see are a special gift

“The beauty of life does not depend on how happy you are, but on how happy others can be because of you.”

The young mother came dragging her four year old son into my consulting room, nervous, nonetheless full of hope. She had been told by her friend that the white spot in his eye was just a cataract and after surgery all would be well. I sat her on the examination chair with the blind toddler on her laps and tried to examine him. The only thing I could see was the glow in the kid’s eye like a cat’s. That was bad news! I took a deep sigh. “What’s it?” asked the anxious mother. “There’s a problem but I can’t say anything until I have completed my examination,” I replied cautiously. Further examination confirmed my fears. He had the dreadful childhood cancer called retinoblastoma in both eyes. 

Explaining the implications to his parents was not easy. After disappearing for about six months during which period they hopped from one hospital to another, eventually convinced of the need for a solution, returned to me. The cancer had gone beyond the confines of the eyeballs into the surrounding tissues. Both eyes had to be removed followed by radiotherapy.  

I didn’t see the little boy until four years after treatment. His mother had brought him to collect a medical report he needed to enter a school for the blind. Yele, now about 9, was charming, intelligent and witty. With him there were no dull moments.  “Doctor, will you pay me a visit in my new school?” he asked expectantly. “Yes,” I replied. He lunged forward and gave me a big hug. “I will take you round my school and show you my new friends,” he added.    

About one year later I was at Yele’s school to keep my promise. True to his words, he took me round effortless, using his mobility tool - the white cane. He could recognise all his friends by their voice and recall what brought them to the blind school. 

Our first contact was a little girl. “This is Bidemi. She’s 10 and has been here about three years now.” He told me how Bidemi became blind. She didn’t receive any vaccinations as a baby; her poor illiterate parents’ choice of food which precluded dark green leafy vegetables and proteins did not prepare her well to withstand the deluge of infections. Thus measles found her an easy prey. Already at the verge of malnutrition and Vitamin A deficiency, the attack was quite severe but was lucky to survive with blindness owing to the scarring of her cornea.  “Doctor, Yele says it’s possible for me to regain my sight. Is that true?” asked Bidemi. I took a quick look at her eyes. It seemed one eye could be salvaged by cornea grafting. “Yes,” I answered and added, “but I need to examine you more thoroughly.” She started dancing.

“Abbey! Adebola, Kemi where are you!” bellowed Yele. “Say hello to Dr. Ben and introduce yourselves to him,” he commanded. 8year old Adebola  and 9year old Kemi said they both were born with congenital glaucoma. Laughing, Kemi said, “The teachers tell me that my eyes are the largest and prettiest in the school. Isn’t it a shame that I can’t appreciate it myself?  Can you make me see?” she asked smiling. “Someday, I believe with all the new technologies coming up, you will see,” I replied, determined to keep hope alive. Abiodun said he lost his eyes to domestic violence. He was flogged by his father with a cane and lost both eyes. Asked, what he did wrong, “I stole some money from the pocket of his pants. I know better now.”

Dauda and Yisa were about the oldest in the school. Dauda had a febrile illness with convulsions when he was five. His mother had put red pepper and some herbs in his eyes. When he came out of coma, he was found to have developed corneal ulcers. These healed leaving severe corneal scarring. I had a look at Dauda’s eyes. I was optimistic he had a fairly good chance of regaining some useful vision after cornea transplant. Yisa’s account of his blindness was even more pathetic.  He had Apollo which was treated with his dad’s urine. His eyes became worse. There was copious purulent discharge and subsequent perforation leading to blindness. His father’s urine must have contained the organism causing gonorrhea which infected his eyes.    

These kids can’t see but have accepted their fate. They are happy and full of hope for the future. Bidemi and Yele want to be Computer Scientists. Abiodun wants to be a Physiotherapist like his hero, late Bitrus Gani. Kemi wants to be a Professor of English and Dauda and Yisa want to be lawyers. With such self-conviction and determination, this is the bright side of darkness. They are indeed a special gift.