Incredible moment Scots surgeon helps boy, 7, see for first time

Dr Tim Lavy was part of the Mercy Ships team which worked to give Mamadou the gift of vision.

A Scots surgeon has helped a seven-year-old boy see for the first time after volunteering with an international charity.

And the heartwarming moment the child sees when his patches are removed has been captured on film.

Little Mamadou from Sierra Leone was treated free of charge by the international charity Mercy Ships.

Volunteer Glaswegian eye surgeon, Dr Tim Lavy, oversaw the operation on the bright youngster who was unable to walk unaided because of his blindness.

And he believes Mamadou would have gone completely blind if he had not had his bilateral cataracts removed.

Bilateral cataracts occur when both eyes have a cloudy lens which impairs vision. Cataracts can develop in the womb or shortly after birth and are a leading cause of childhood blindness worldwide.

Dr Lavy said: “In the UK, babies are about six weeks old when they receive a cataract operation.

“But in sub-Saharan Africa, children like Mamadou can be left for years without medical intervention. Effectively blind from birth.”

Dr Lavy, who worked for 19 years at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Glasgow, is now semi-retired and spends time volunteering for Mercy Ships on board the Global Mercy in Sierra Leone.

While there that he oversaw Mamadou’s operation, performed by volunteer eye surgeon from Lithuania, Dr Paulius Rudalevicius.

Mamadou’s mother, Salematu, discovered her little boy was unable to see well from the moment he started walking as he always stumbled and fell.

Always having to hold someone’s hand to walk, Mamadou struggled through childhood and school and other children did not treat him well due to his condition.

At seven years old, his poor vision meant he still couldn’t read or write. His eyeballs moved sporadically as he looked around.

Salematu tried to seek surgery for him at her local hospital but was told he was too young.

Before his surgery she said: “Whenever I look at my son, I feel sad. I am not happy about his condition.”

Mamadou was most affected whenever the sun was out, as the light inhibited his movements.

His future looked bleak as he faced discrimination and without sight, he would find it hard to get an education or a job.

But his family were relentless in their search for a solution and eventually a relative told them Mercy Ships was bringing in its new hospital ship to provide safe surgeries free of charge on board.

Dr Rudalevicius said time was of the essence to save Mamadou’s sight because if they waited another couple of years “the brain can never learn to see, even if the cataracts are removed”.

Around 60 per cent of the world’s blind live in sub-Saharan Africa, China, and India and 50 per cent of them suffer from cataracts which often just require a simple procedure to repair.

Mamadou’s operation took just two hours and the very next day his eye patches were removed and he was able to see.

His mum was delighted. She said: “My son can see me. My son can go back to the community and interact with other children.”

For Mamadou, it was a moment of slight confusion, as it marked the first time in his life he could see things so clearly. He looked around, trying to understand new information and identify unexpected objects.

Dr Lavy said: “It is very moving doing the ward rounds and seeing children, like Mamadou, responding to their surroundings for the first time when the eye patches come off.”

Within a few hours of the eye patches being removed Mamadou was given a pair of UV sunglasses to help stabilise his new vision.

He also received crayons and paper to do some colouring and picked up a toy motorcycle and rode around the ward, putting his improved sight to use immediately by avoiding any obstacles in his way.

A month later, Salematu told of the tangible differences she’d seen.

“Unlike before, he can now move around without jumping his steps or falling, even when the sun is out.”

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