Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law. (Psalm 119:18) Just for a moment, think about losing your sight. Think of the fear, the anxiety, the uncertainty of your future. Now add to that being impoverished with no access to health care or medical procedures. This is what thousands of Nigerians face each day, even though global and national data show that 80% of blindness can be prevented and treated.
Faith Alive Hospital has partnered with Faith Alive USA to expand the medical
services at their facility to include ophthalmology services and procedures at no cost to its patients. This includes diagnostic tools, staff and equipment to
perform cataract surgeries, lens implants and refraction and dispensing of eyeglasses. Currently, an average of 650 patients per year are receiving
ophthalmology treatment and 240 eye surgeries are projected for 2019.
A Personal Story
On a cold Monday morning in December 2018, an acutely ill lady staggered into the consulting room, assisted by her older sister. With much difficulty and in a very low tone, she introduced herself as H.O., a 33-year-old divorcee who had taken ill in the last two months. She was diagnosed as HIV-postive and had started anti-retroviral therapy only nine days before at the Faith Alive Hospital. She had been living with painless progressive vision loss for two years but never sought eye care due to financial and social constraints. Her vision had rapidly deteriorated and she was no longer able to navigate on her own, even in familiar environments. She was unable to identify faces or objects. Detailed examination revealed that H.O. was bilaterally blind in both eyes from cataracts but was also clinically unstable with a CD4 count of less than 400. With treatment from Faith Alive Hospital, by January 2019 she was clinically fit for surgery and was scheduled for free bilateral cataract extraction with intraocular lens implantation. She is currently three months post-op and has regained significant vision. She is able to move around unassisted, resuming household chores and personal care. In H.O.'s own words "Faith Alive Hospital has made me alive again through God. I can see clearly, I can move around by myself. I know God is at work here." H.O. is on the path to not only full visual recovery but also to restoring her life with God, family and friends.
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