19-year-old Rwandese, Angélique Nyanzira, lives with her parents in the north of Rwanda, in the village of Nyakiriba, in the Burera district. She has three sisters and three brothers and loves to cook.
Her eyesight has been declining progressively over the last two years. In the beginning, it was as if a cloud was passing before her eyes, even in the daytime. Now, she does no longer see anything at all. She is enrolled in the third year of secondary education but, due to her blindness, she can no longer go to school.
Today, Angélique lives in permanent fear and anxiety. She stays at home all day long and cries a lot. “My world broke apart,” she tells us, sobbing. “God must have abandoned me.” Fortunately, her brothers and sisters are always there for her, but it is hard for Angélique to ask for their help every time she would like to move.
Her family is concerned about her and takes her to the local health centre in Kinoni. The nurses notice the gravity of her eyesight problems and refer her, for specialized eye care, to the Kabgayi Eye Unit (KEU), supported by Light for the World.
Angélique looks downhearted when Dr Tuyisabe examines her in Kabgayi.
Ophthalmologist and director of the KEU, Doctor Théophile Tuyisabe, examines her eyes. He tells her that she is suffering from bilateral cataract due to diabetes. But there is hope: surgery can restore her eyesight.
Angélique does not know anybody suffering from cataract who recovered his or her eyesight. She does not understand, and the prospect of surgery is totally terrifying her. The doctor tries to reassure her and to convince her of the high success rate of cataract surgeries. Angélique talks to other patients and finally agrees to the surgery.
Dr Tuyisabe immediately operates on her first eye and on the second one the next day. Both surgeries are successful. Angélique spends the following night at the clinic to get some rest and then the big day comes along: a nurse removes the eye dressings.
For Angélique, it’s nothing less than a miracle! She really did recover her eyesight and can see her mum’s face again! Finally, it was a good decision to trust the doctor and his team. What are Angélique’s projects? The most important one: go back to school and complete her secondary education. And after that, she would like to become a teacher or a seamstress.
She put on her best colourful dress to celebrate the recovery of her eyesight. She no longer has a sad look on her face, just a big smile!
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