Andhra Pradesh - Ongole   

A ray of hope for six-year-old

Special Correspondent

The mentally challenged boy gets eyesight after operation

LIGHTING UP LIVES: Dr Subramanyeswari examining six-year-old Gopi, who got his eyesight after cataract operation at Ongole on Thursday — Photo: Sreenivas Kommuri

ONGOLE : It was literally a ray of hope for six-year-old Gopi, who seemed to be personification of misfortune.

Gopi was born blind and mentally retarded. He lost his mother and father at the age of four. His grandmother Saramma, an agricultural worker, had to take care of him without any hope about his future. Saramma came from Narsaraopet to Vennur near Ongole to process tobacco leaves in a farm last month and that turned out to be a blessing for Gopi. She took Gopi to a free medical camp held in the village by ophthalmologist V. Subramanyeswari, who diagnosed that the blindness was due to congenital cataract and is curable. A donor came forward to provide foldable lens costing Rs. 20,000 and the doctor agreed to perform phaco operation on Gopi. Now he is able to see after successful operation on both his eyes last week. Speaking to newspersons here on Thursday, Dr Subramanyeswari said congenital cataract was rare and affected one in 10,000 children. But early diagnosis and operation helps the child get normal eyesight. As most of the victims are poor, the parents resign themselves to their fate and do not even consult an ophthalmologist

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