By Ciara Baumgartner | Fundraising Officer
Teshager's furure was uncertain. Now he's starting school!
Six-year-old Teshager never got up in the morning like other children in his town. He didn’t play with other kids or go to school either. The pain in his eyes and not being able to see well was affecting his ability to thrive. For Teshager and his family, the future was full of uncertainties until he received treatment for his trachoma. For most of his little life, Teshager’s eyesight was plagued with issues. At two years old, he caught trachoma, a bacterial infection of the eyes, and had several repeat infections.
Teshager was suffering from trichiasis, a painful condition, caused by the repeat trachoma cases, in which scarring causes the eyelid to turn in on itself and the eyelashes to scratch the eye. For him, every blink felt like his eye was scratching sandpaper.Trichiasis can result in permanent vision loss without timely treatment.
His father, Amanuel, a farmer and a fellow sufferer of repeat trachoma infections, did not want his son’s sight to hold him back in life like it did for him. He told us: “My life cycle seems to repeat itself. Thirty or so years ago, I had a similar case as my son. I had surgery, but my eyes were not as healthy as they should be. I couldn’t finish school because of my eyesight problem. I worry a lot because I don’t want my son to turn out as I did. I want him to go to school and succeed in life."
Every year, Orbis-trained health teams are deployed to remote communities across Ethiopia, where the infectious, sight-stealing disease trachoma remains rife. The condition is highly treatable with the right kind of eye care in place.
Our efforts mean we can reach millions of people with trachoma-fighting antibiotics and refer complicated cases like Teshager’s for further treatment or surgery, relieving the burden that this neglected tropical disease has on the individuals impacted, their families, and the wider community.
Thankfully, our teams had already caught wind of Teshager’s and Amanuel’s long-term suffering and determined the best course of treatment that would save Teshager’s sight and preserve his fathers, too. A double win!
Amanuel’s surgery was successfully carried out on both of his eyes at the Orbis-supported Damote Sore Health Center, while Teshager traveled to a child-friendly eye care center established by Orbis at Menelik II Hospital, in Ethiopia’s capital.
Teshager and his delighted father, Amanuel, both had their sight restored with the support of our teams and partners.
His relieved father said: “I do not have the words to describe how happy I am and how much I appreciate Orbis for helping our son get better treatment for his eyes. We didn’t have enough money to take our son to the city.
By Diane Weatherup | Development Director
By Diane Weatherup | Development Director
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