I was blind, but now I see

On November 29, the Daily Nation published the saddening plight of Kenyatta University law student Jennifer Gateru, who suffered from severe keratoconus and risked total loss of her eyesight if she did not undergo a cornea transplant.

“Jeniffer is suffering from bilateral severe keratoconus with central cornea opacity. Her vision is very suppressed for both eyes.

"She is advised to pursue corneal transplant under general anaesthesia that costs Sh350,000 per eye,” a medical report by Dr Mumtaz Hirani, an eye specialist at the Aga Khan Hospital, indicated at the time.

In a bid to save her, fellow students had started an initiative dubbed Amina Drive to raise funds for the operation.

By the time the Nation published the story, the initiative had fundraised over Sh400,000. But students were about to break for December holidays, leaving Jennifer with little hope of raising the remaining Sh300,000.

That article, less than 700 words, attracted hundreds of emails from individuals and corporates willing to help.

Among those was Lions Sightfirst Eye Hospital, which offered to get Jennifer the cornea she desperately needed free of charge.

The hospital’s CEO and Chief Ophthalmologist, Dr Fayaz Khan, a lively chap with greying hair who has done over 40,000 eye operations, invited us to witness him lead a team of eight to replace Jennifer’s cornea on November 14.

This is how it happened.

6:00 am A nurse wakes up Jennifer from her hospital room to start preparing for the surgery. 

By 6.30 am, her blood pressure and weight is already checked before nurses shave her eyelids.

“My eyes feel naked. Why now?” she laments about the loss of her hair. She does not take breakfast.

8:30 am A nurse carries out a routine check on Jennifer to verify whether she is ready for surgery.

She is asked to stand straight to establish whether she is shaking out of fear, but she says she all geared up for the big day.

Her sister and a friend, Raphael, are on hand to encourage her.

8.52 am Jennifer undergoes another pre-surgery routine to establish whether the cornea is clear.

Eye specialist Dr David Kibingo explains that in this stage macular oedema, which affects eyes, can be detected.

Generally, oedema is the medical term for fluid retention in the body.