Health
Boy facing blindness gets life-changing eye surgery: ‘Such a blessing’
A 7-year-old boy in West Africa who was going blind can now see again, thanks to life-changing eye surgery provided by the Mercy Ships charity.
Mamadou, whose last name was not provided, was born with bilateral cataracts, a condition in which cataracts develop in both eyes before birth or soon afterward.
When left untreated, the condition can lead to total blindness in some cases.
COVID LOCKDOWNS LED TO SPIKE IN KIDS’ VISION PROBLEMS, 1 IN 3 NOW NEARSIGHTED, STUDY FINDS
“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.
Inherited cataracts and malnutrition are common causes of the condition, the doctor said.
A 7-year-old boy in West Africa who was going blind can now see again, thanks to life-changing eye surgery provided by the Mercy Ships charity. (SWNS)
Mamadou, who is from Waterloo, Sierra Leone, “wasn’t able to see much of anything,” according to Ella Hawthorne, an optometrist who also works 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.
WOMAN WITH MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY COMPLETES 12 HALF-MARATHONS IN WHEELCHAIR FOR CHARITY: ‘WON’T LET IT DEFINE ME’
“He really couldn’t see the world around him very much.”
Mamadou’s mother, Salematu, recalled the poor treatment her son received due to his poor eyesight.
Mamadou is pictured before receiving treatment from the charity Mercy Ships. He struggled to walk because he would trip over objects, and he couldn’t see well enough to read or write. (SWNS)
“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.”
The boy was also having trouble walking and picking up objects, and was very sensitive to sunlight.
A life-changing surgery
Salematu tried several times over the years to get her son the surgery he needed, but local hospitals would not do it. Over time, his vision worsened.
Then Mercy Ships docked its hospital ship, the Global Mercy, in Freetown, Sierra Leone, to provide safe surgeries to residents for free — and Mamadou was selected.
“It was so wonderful to see him looking around and starting to perceive the world.”
Hawthorne recalled her first encounter with the boy.
AMERICAN DOCTOR, FUELED BY FAITH, BRINGS HEALTH AND HEALING TO RURAL SUDAN: ‘GOD IS IN CHARGE’
“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.”
After the surgery, doctors gave Mamadou a pair of UV sunglasses to wear as he got used to his new vision. (SWNS)
Time was of the essence for Mamadou’s surgery, Dr. Rudalevicius noted.
“If the cataracts are not removed soon enough, the brain can never learn to see.”
On Feb. 7, assisted by a team of medical volunteers, the doctor performed a small incision cataract surgery.
JOHNNY DEPP VISITS CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL DRESSED AS CAPTAIN JACK SPARROW IN ‘MAGICAL MOMENT’
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.
When the eye patches were removed the next day, it was a little confusing and overwhelming at first, Mercy Ships noted, which is a normal reaction in children.
Mamadou is pictured after receiving eye surgery from the charity Mercy Ships. Time was of the essence for Mamadou’s surgery, his doctor noted. (SWNS)
“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.”
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
Doctors gave Mamadou a pair of UV sunglasses to wear as he got used to his new vision.
The boy began playing with toys, coloring and riding a toy motorcycle around the ward.
Mamadou receives surgical treatment from the charity Mercy Ships in October 2024. (SWNS)
“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.”
‘Celebration of sight’
A month after Mamadou’s vision was restored, the boy and his mother returned to the ship for a “celebration of sight, a ceremony for patients who have received successful eye surgeries,” according to Mercy Ships.
Salematu shared 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!”
After the surgery, the boy began playing with toys, coloring and riding a toy motorcycle around the ward. (SWNS)
“Unlike before, Mamadou can now move around without jumping his steps or falling, even when the sun is out.”
For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health
Salematu hopes that her son will one day grow up to become a medical doctor and make a difference of his own, 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.”
Use left and right arrow keys to navigate between menu items.
Use escape to exit the menu.
Sign Up
Create a free account to access exclusive content, play games, solve puzzles, test your pop-culture knowledge and receive special offers.
Already have an account? Login
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is launching a study on whether radiation from cellphones could harm Americans’ health.
“The FDA removed web pages with old conclusions about cellphone radiation while HHS undertakes a study on electromagnetic radiation and health research to identify gaps in knowledge, including on new technologies, to ensure safety and efficacy,” HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
The study is part of a strategy report released last year by President Donald Trump’s MAHA Commission, Nixon added.
FOOD PYRAMID FACES SCRUTINY AS BEN CARSON REVEALS WHY AMERICANS DON’T HAVE TO EAT MEAT
The report urges officials to address electromagnetic radiation (EMR) exposure stemming from the widespread use of cellphones, Wi-Fi routers, cell towers and wearable, such as smartwatches.
In 2018, the National Institutes of Health did a study concluding there is “clear evidence” that high exposure to radio frequency radiation (RFR) was associated with cancer in male rats.
The HHS has launched a cellphone radiation study to investigate whether electromagnetic radiation is harmful to people’s health. (iStock)
“In our studies, rats and mice received RFR across their whole bodies. By contrast, people are mostly exposed in specific local tissues close to where they hold the phone,” said senior scientist John Bucher at the time.
Bucher added, “The exposure levels and durations in our studies were greater than what people experience.”
The study did not investigate the RFR that is used for Wi-Fi or 5G networks.
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told USA TODAY on Friday that “electromagnetic radiation is a major health concern,” adding that he is “very concerned about it.”
A spokesperson for CTIA, the mobile carrier industry trade group, told Fox News Digital there is no credible evidence linking wireless devices to health problems.
“The FDA removed web pages with old conclusions about cellphone radiation while HHS undertakes a study on electromagnetic radiation and health research to identify gaps in knowledge, including on new technologies, to ensure safety and efficacy,” said an HHS spokesperson. (iStock)
“Radiofrequency energy from Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices, mobile phones and wireless infrastructure has not been shown to cause health problems, according to the consensus of the international scientific community and independent expert organizations around the world,” said the spokesperson.
The World Health Organization has noted on its website that research shows “no adverse health effect has been causally linked with exposure to wireless technologies.”
CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE STORIES
In the U.S., cellphones must comply with Federal Communications Commission (FCC) limits on radiofrequency (RF) exposure.
The FCC uses a metric called specific absorption rate (SAR), which tracks how much RF energy the body absorbs. To be sold in the U.S., mobile phones and similar wireless devices must be tested and certified to ensure that they do not exceed 1.6 W/kg (watts per kilogram), averaging over 1 gram of tissue.
In the U.S., cellphones must comply with Federal Communications Commission (FCC) limits on radiofrequency (RF) exposure. (iStock)
The FCC states on its website that there is “no scientific evidence currently establishing a definitive link between wireless device use and cancer or other illnesses.”
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
However, the agency does share ways that Americans can reduce exposure — such as shortening the amount of time spent on wireless devices, putting a phone on speaker or using an earpiece “to reduce proximity to the head and thus head exposure.”
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
The FCC also recommends increasing the distance between wireless devices and the body, and texting instead of talking when possible.
Fox News Digital reached out to HHS and NIH for additional comment, as well as several major cellphone carriers.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
A potentially deadly fungus has been spreading throughout Tennessee, health officials have warned.
Over 35 cases of histoplasmosis, a lung infection caused by exposure to the fungus Histoplasma capsulatum, have been confirmed in a three-month period in the Murray and Williamson County area, according to numbers presented on Jan. 12 by the Tennessee Department of Health.
A family has also spoken out with claims that one woman died after contracting histoplasmosis, with a positive test result returned two days after her death, according to a local report.
DEADLY ‘SUPERBUG’ IS SPREADING ACROSS US AS DRUG RESISTANCE GROWS, RESEARCHERS WARN
However, during a briefing at the Williamson County Board of Commissioners, state epidemiologists said an investigation is underway and that the infection has not yet been confirmed as the direct cause of any fatalities.
They also noted that the average age of those infected is 50.
Histoplasmosis is a lung infection caused by exposure to the fungus Histoplasma capsulatum. (iStock)
The fungus comes from soil that is contaminated with bird or bat droppings, according to state officials. People are exposed when they breathe in the fungal spores. A single common source has not been identified in the Tennessee outbreak.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
In most cases, people don’t get sick, but there is the potential for histoplasmosis to cause respiratory symptoms, ranging from mild to life-threatening, per the CDC.
Symptoms of histoplasmosis — which can include fever, cough, extreme fatigue, headache, body aches, chills and chest pain — typically emerge within three to 17 days after exposure to the fungus.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES
Because these symptoms are similar to the cold and flu, the condition is often missed or misdiagnosed.
People with weak immune systems are at a higher risk of developing severe illness, which can lead to a long-term lung infection or, in rare cases, meningitis, per the CDC.
While most people do not require treatment, there are antifungal medications for severe cases. Some of the Tennessee patients have been hospitalized and some are “critically ill,” the state officials confirmed during the briefing.
State officials confirmed there have been 35 cases over a three-month period in the Murray and Williamson County area. (iStock)
Healthcare providers can confirm the infection by testing blood or urine samples in a lab. Other possible means of testing may include respiratory fluid, X-rays, CT scans or a tissue biopsy.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
To prevent infection, health officials recommend limiting activities where soil is disturbed and to consider wearing masks during “high-risk” outdoor activities.
Healthcare providers can confirm the infection by testing blood or urine samples in a lab. Other possible means of testing may include respiratory fluid, X-rays, CT scans or a tissue biopsy. (iStock)
Before this outbreak, histoplasmosis was a “reportable disease” in only 14 states (Arkansas, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Wisconsin and Washington), according to the CDC.
The infection does not spread between humans and cannot be transmitted from humans to animals.
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
Anyone who experiences symptoms and believes they have been exposed to the Histoplasma fungus should contact a doctor for testing, especially if antibiotics are not helping.
Can Pickles Help You Lose Weight? Discover the Perks of Fermented Foods
Public domain contest challenges filmmakers to remix Betty Boop, Nancy Drew and more
Hundreds of creatives warn against an AI slop future
Iran accused of sex assaults on teenage prisoners, while families charged to recover remains of loved ones
Judge rules NYC’s lone Republican congressional district unconstitutional, orders redraw
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Indiana Members Credit Union announced as new anchor tenant at Bottleworks District
Judge rules NYC’s lone Republican congressional district unconstitutional, orders redraw
French firm Lactalis latest to recall baby formula amid contamination scare
Autopsy finds Cuban immigrant in ICE custody died of homicide due to asphyxia
Supreme Court appears ready to keep Lisa Cook on Federal Reserve board despite Trump efforts to fire her
Greenland, NATO and war: Fact-checking Trump’s Davos speech
-
Sports4 days agoMiami’s Carson Beck turns heads with stunning admission about attending classes as college athlete
-
Detroit, MI1 week agoSchool Closings: List of closures across metro Detroit
-
Culture1 week agoTry This Quiz on Myths and Stories That Inspired Recent Books
-
Lifestyle1 week agoJulio Iglesias accused of sexual assault as Spanish prosecutors study the allegations
-
Education1 week agoVideo: Lego Unveils New Smart Brick
-
Pittsburg, PA3 days agoSean McDermott Should Be Steelers Next Head Coach
-
Education1 week ago
How a Syrian Hiking Club Is Rediscovering the Country
-
Sports2 days agoMiami star throws punch at Indiana player after national championship loss