A 7-year-old Sierra Leonean boy named Mamadou, born with bilateral cataracts, can now see following a life-changing eye surgery provided by the Mercy Ships charity. The organization successfully treated his condition, in which cataracts developed in both eyes either before birth or shortly after.
If left untreated, bilateral cataracts can cause total blindness. “We suspected that the cataracts were there already when Mamadou was born, but slowly they got worse,” Dr. Paul Rudalevicius, an eye surgeon who volunteers with Mercy Ships in Sierra Leone, told Fox News Digital.
Common causes include inherited cataracts and malnutrition, according to medical professionals.
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Mamadou, whose surname was not given, is a boy from Waterloo, Sierra Leone, who “wasn’t able to see much of anything,” said Ella Hawthorne, an optometrist with Mercy Ships in Sierra Leone.
“He could tell there was a light that was being turned on, but he couldn’t even really tell that a hand was being waved in front of his face,” she told Fox News Digital. “He really couldn’t see the world around him very much.”
“His friends always provoked him, and also laughed at him because of his condition,” she told Fox News Digital. “He was going to school, but could not see or write clearly.”
Mamadou struggled with walking, picking up objects, and sunlight sensitivity due to his worsening cataracts. His mother, Salematu, had repeatedly sought surgery for him without success at local hospitals.
When the Mercy Ships’ hospital ship, the Global Mercy, docked in Freetown to offer free surgeries, Mamadou was selected for the life-changing procedure.
Optometrist Hawthorne remembered her first encounter with the boy. “Meeting Mamadou during patient selection here in Sierra Leone was just special,” she told SWNS.
“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 noted the boy’s condition required urgent surgery.
“If the cataracts are not removed soon enough, the brain can never learn to see.”
A small incision cataract surgery was performed on February 7 with the assistance of a team of medical volunteers. Although the procedure took only two hours, it “represented the start of a new vision and future for Mamadou,” according to a Mercy Ships press release.
Mercy Ships noted that when Mamadou’s eye patches were removed the next day, he initially felt confused and overwhelmed, a typical reaction in children undergoing such procedures.
“He looked around, trying to understand new information and identify unexpected objects,” the release said.
“His brain was not yet used to processing such a high level of visual activity — but after seeing the crowd around him smile and wave, Mamadou quickly joined in, sharing his bright and endearing smile in return.”
Doctors provided Mamadou with UV sunglasses to help him adjust to his new vision. Soon after, he started playing with toys, coloring, and riding a toy motorcycle around the ward.
“Being able to witness the patches being removed from his eyes was such an absolute blessing and a privilege,” Hawthorne told Fox News Digital.
“It was so wonderful to see him looking around and starting to perceive the world and being able to absorb some of the information around him.”
“It was so special, and you could see the joy that had started to build up inside him. It was a really good reminder of why I’m here and the impact our work is having.”
A month after Mamadou’s vision was restored, he and his mother returned to the Mercy Ships hospital ship for a “celebration of sight” ceremony, honoring patients who received successful eye surgeries. Salematu expressed her relief and happiness with the outcome.
“My son can see me!” she said. “My son can go back to the community and interact with other children!”
“Unlike before, Mamadou can now move around without jumping his steps or falling, even when the sun is out.”
Salematu expressed the hope that her son will grow up to become a medical doctor and make a difference, according to the release.
Dr. Rudalevicius added to Fox News Digital, “I hope that he will be able to attend school, to learn, to play with other children, and in the future maybe support his family.”
