Jaden is a two-year-old boy living in Ifakara, Tanzania. One day, his parents notice a whitish veil in the center of his right eye. “It was a strange glow that shone at night like a cat’s eye,” his mother explains. Jaden’s father, who works near Light for the World’s partner eye clinic in Ifakara, shares his concerns with friends who work there.
On the advice of friends and family, the parents take Jaden to the clinic. After a scan, they discover that it is in fact an eye cancer. They are truly devastated by the news. “If you’re a parent, it’s heartbreaking to learn that your child is suffering from a potentially fatal eye disease and is at risk of losing his eye.”
An operation is immediately scheduled and the ophthalmologist successfully removes the cancer from Jaden’s eye. Fortunately, his parents were able to get him to surgery in time, as no signs of metastasis were detected. “We know how lucky we are to have been able to act so quickly and to have had access to the right care,” his mom says joyfully. “Thanks to the support of Light for the World’s donors, we were even able to pay for the consultation, operation and medication. So we didn’t have to worry about the financial cost.”
Jaden porte maintenant un faux oeil qui lui permet de ressembler aux autres enfants. « On remarque à peine qu’il s’agit d’une prothèse, » dit la mère de Jaden. Ses parents sont optimistes pour son avenir, car depuis l’opération, Jaden déborde d’énergie. « Il court toute la journée et joue toujours au football. Peut-être deviendra-t-il plus tard une véritable star du ballon rond, » déclare sa mère, qui est incroyablement fière de lui.
Jaden is now wearing an eye prosthesis that makes him look like any other child. “You hardly notice it’s a prosthesis,” says Jaden’s mother. His parents are optimistic about his future, because since the operation, Jaden has been bursting with energy and his mother is incredibly proud of him: “He’s running all day and loves to play soccer. Maybe he’ll become a real football star when he grows up.“
