Incomplete diagnosis: Losing sight, and hope

Three out of 5 children of a poor family from Southern Punjab have been diagnosed with a rare eye-related disease.

LAHORE: Three out of five children of a poor family residing in Southern Punjab have been diagnosed with a rare eye-related disease, The Express Tribune has learnt.

Farooq Ahmed’s three sons, the 16-year-old Sajid, 13-year-old Rashid and 10-year-old Junaid have been rapidly losing their eyesight since crossing the age of seven. They have been dropped out of the primary school due to an increasing inability to read and write.

According to eye specialists, the disease is genetic and would probably affect the three-year-old Haleema Saadia and the seven-year-old Jamshaid once they cross the age threshold.

The disease was diagnosed by an eye specialist Dr. Ijaz Latif when the eldest child, Sajid, was examined. Dr Latif said the boys would lose their eyesight completely and be totally blind by the age of 17.

He initially advised the patients to use spectacles but discontinued their usage after a few weeks when their eyesight showed rapid deterioration. The spectacles were accelerating the loss of vision, said Dr Latif.

Farooq, the family’s breadwinner, earns a daily wage of between Rs50 and Rs200 using his donkey cart while the mother, Shamim, works as household help and earns Rs500 a month. For the family residing in their mud house in Khichian Basti near Bahawalnagar, it is impossible to afford treatment for their children.

Of immense concern is the psychological impact on the siblings who are growing up with a realisation that they would soon lose their eyesight. The helplessness has taken a toll on the family and Farooq has appealed for assistance in treating his children so they could lead normal lives.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 19^th, 2010.