Eleven-year-old excels academically despite sight problem

Aiden Breme, an eleven-year-old pupil from the Chapuri Primary School in the Jirapa Municipality, is said to be academically good despite living with a sight problem.Little Aiden was diagnosed with Cataract Nystagmus, a condition that caused instability of his eyeballs, which was affecting his sight.Born with the condition, little Aiden's parents perceived the condition as normal, unaware of the severity of his situation and, therefore, took no action to remedy it.Aiden was diagnosed with the condition during an eye screening exercise at Hain organised by Bliss Eye Care, a private eye clinic in Wa in partnership with Ghana Vision, a Swiss charity under the Blissful Sight for Kids (BS4Ks) project.Mr. George Kangwonuah, Ophthalmic Nurse with the Jirapa Municipal Hospital, who diagnosed Aiden's condition, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that an urgent surgery was needed to correct the abnormality with his eyes.'The eye surgery will give him the chance to see for a lifetime. If the surgery is delayed, the child will eventually become fully blind,' he explained.Another pupil who came for the screening was also diagnosed with a similar condition, which Mr Kangwonuah described as worrying.He encouraged regular eye checks at the health facilities for early detection and treatment of eye conditions saying, 'It is easier to restore his sight through the surgery in infancy.'Mr. Cassius Kaaratoore, the Headmaster of Chapuri Primary School, praised Aiden's academic performance, highlighting that he was first in a class of 45 students in the last academic term.He said little Aiden struggled to participate in academic activities due to his condition compelling the teachers to give him special attention in class.'A seat has been given to him in front of the class, but when something is written on the board, sometimes he has to move closer to the board before he can read the writings on it,' Mr Kaaratoore explained.The Headmaster noted that Aiden's parents' financial situation contributed to their neglect i n seeking medical treatment for him.Dr. Zakarea Al-Hassan Balure, the Manager of Bliss Eye Care, expressed concern over some parents' neglect of their children's eye health.He said: 'Even with Aiden's condition, his parents left him to his fate, walking alone from Chapuri to Hain for medical attention.'He urged parents to prioritise their children's eye health, emphasising that the eyes are delicate and should not be overlooked.Mr. Bernard Songliedong Kpinzie, the School Improvement Support Officer (SISO) in charge of Hain Circuit, expressed gratitude to Bliss Eye Care for the initiative as it would improve the vision of the children for better academic outcomes.A total of 676 children from basic schools in the Hain circuit benefited from the screening out of which 108 had normal eyes and 530 had pathological issues related to medication.Also, 15 children were diagnosed with refractive errors and required eyeglasses, while 23 had Cataract and Glaucoma.Children needing eyeglasses and medication r eceived them at no cost, while those requiring surgery had been referred to the clinic for further attention.Source: Ghana News Agency