Africa-Press – South-Africa. I just want to be able to see my kids’ faces again.”
These were the words of a Mitchells Plain mom who has keratoconus, a progressive eye disease that causes extremely blurred vision and sensitivity to light.
Shireen Hermans, 29, was diagnosed in 2015 at Groote Schuur Hospital after her vision started to deteriorate in her early 20s.
During her teen years, she would enjoy being around family and friends.
But her eye disease caused her to live a “very isolated life” later because she could no longer go outdoors on her own, walk her children to school or take public transport on her own.
She told News24 she never thought her life would take such a drastic turn before she turned thirty.
“I only have 8% sight in my left eye [and] I can see light only out of my right eye. I’ve been told that my unaided visual acuity in the left eye is 6/75, using the Snellen chart. This means that at six metres, I see what a normally sighted person would see at 75m. I’ve been told by specialists that I am legally blind,” Hermans said.
Due to her condition, she gets severe headaches and is sensitive to light and extreme glare.
“Images are very distorted; I also have severe allergies and asthma and because of that, I now have to avoid rubbing my eyes as this can lead to quick progression of the disease. I have been going through the worst depression and leading a low quality of life because I think I am still trying to come to terms with the fact that this is my life now.”
When she was told she would not have normal vision, she thought of her children first.
She said:
It’s been a few years since she last saw her two daughters’ faces, and she dreams of a day when she will be able to see them mature.
“One of the most challenging things in life is not being able to see your children when they are living with you. We rely on each other’s voices most of the time. My sight is so poor, I’m unable to even read the girls their bedtime stories or help them with their school work, and it most certainly feels like I’m failing my children,” she added.
Hermans said she had dreams of pursuing a career in education and obtaining her driving licence before the age of 30.
The Eyes2Eyes Foundation which was launched in the heart of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, has since stepped in to see how it can help improve Hermans’ lifestyle.
“Our mission is to restore sight to children and adults living with preventable corneal blindness. More than 80% of corneal blindness is preventable. It’s an area of blindness that is massively under-resourced in the Western Cape, yet the people it impacts the most are so young,” said founder, Amanda Seccombe.
She went blind in both her eyes in 2018.
“It’s really tough. You put on a brave face, but in reality, my world imploded. I live alone and navigating life took its toll [on me] mentally, physically and financially. So, I fully understand what Shireen is going through,” Seccombe said.
One of the organisation’s projects is funding sight restoration with custom-designed scleral lenses for patients referred to it from the Groote Schuur Cornea Clinic.
She added:
Meanwhile, with the assistance of the organisation, Shireen has been assessed for suitability for a specially designed pair of scleral lenses to improve here eyesight.
“Not all scleral lenses are equal – this laboratory in New Zealand makes customised lenses based on very intricate measurements and design. We don’t have the lathes in South Africa to make this advanced type of lens.
“Because Shireen’s corneas are already compromised, we have to ensure the lens fit is perfect. Poor lens fit will cause further damage to her corneas and reduce the oxygen supply to the eye. A lot of time and research has gone into ensuring our beneficiaries get world-class care to restore their sight and keep their eyes healthy,” said Seccombe.
A crowdfunding account has since been launched to cover the costs of the lenses because Hermans is unemployed. Public hospitals do not supply this type of intervention.
“Shireen would be able to wear her new lenses for up to fourteen hours a day and would not be able to sleep with them in her eyes. She will be provided with suitable training on lens insertion and removal as well as daily care,” she added.
Hermans said she was over the moon.
“I just want to go back to living a normal life and to see the world around me and most importantly, I long to see my little girls’ faces and enjoy life with them. I can’t wait to have these lenses. I know it’s going to change my life for the better and I’m so grateful that the organisation has gone above and beyond to source this for me,” she said.
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