CASE STORIES: INDU

by Kareena Zehra - trainee Patient Counsellor at Dr Shroff's Charity Eye Hospital

This is the story of Baby Indu, a 4-year-old girl who is suffering from glaucoma of the right eye, secondary glaucoma of the left eye, full cataract and congenital nystagmus – a condition where involuntary, rhythmic eye movements are present from birth. She is unable to see.

Indu was born prematurely at six-and-a-half months as one of three triplets and was placed on a ventilator for one-and-a-half months. When it was known that the triplets were born with eye complications, their mother abandoned all three children while they were still on the ventilators. Their father was unable to undertake the cost of their care, which fell to Indu’s grandparents who sought out treatment for the triplets’ eyes.

After initial retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) treatments involving laser surgery at the All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS), Indu’s grandparents had no choice but to give up one of the triplets for adoption as the family collectively could not afford to raise all three. Indu’s father does not earn an income, her mother abandoned the family for two years and her paternal aunt and uncle reportedly do not contribute any funds towards their healthcare. The brunt of the cost has so far been undertaken by Indu’s grandfather, who earns money as a labourer repairing washing machines and collects an income of around Rs5,000-10,000 (up to £90.00) per month – a sum which is regrettably insufficient for the family-of-eight’s basic needs.

Indu’s grandparents approached Dr Shroff’s Charity Eye Hospital after seeing little improvement in hers and her sibling’s sight despite the initial treatments. At the hospital, Indu was operated on free of cost in her right eye which had been substantially worse. The operation included a trabeculectomy, in which a small flap is made in the sclera (the white part of the eye) under the upper eyelid, followed by creating a tiny opening under the flap to allow fluid to drain from the eye. The flap is then reattached with sutures, allowing the fluid to drain slowly and continuously. The benefits of this surgery include reducing intraocular pressure (IOP), protecting the optic nerve and potentially slowing or preventing further vision loss.

A further operation is still required involving lens aspiration and intraocular lens (IOL) implantation, which is primarily known as cataract surgery. This procedure removes the cloudy natural lens (cataract) and replaces it with a clear artificial lens to restore vision.

Kareena Zehra, trainee Patient Counsellor