While visiting a small fishing village on February 21 to check on one of our sponsored students, we met Mariatu Kanu. Her eyes were nearly covered by a severe pterygium growth, leaving her on the brink of blindness.
We brought Mariatu back with us to our base in Freetown, where she underwent surgery on both eyes at the Lowell and Ruth Gess United Methodist Eye Hospital. Just weeks later, on March 6, Mariatu returned for her final check-up—no longer in darkness, but seeing clearly again. Stronger, healthier, and a few pounds heavier, she was ready to return home with something she had nearly lost: her sight.
Mariatu Kanu, age 47, could hardly see through the pterygium growths that had slowly covered most of her eyes. Only 13 days later Mariatu could see clearly again, thanks to surgical and medical treatments paid for by Africa Surgery.