Wateen’s Story: Eyelid Surgery and a Corneal Transplant for a Child in Syria

When Wateen was three months old, a fever led her family to take her to hospital. She developed a blood clotting disorder and required blood transfusions for a month and a half.

The illness left her with lasting complications affecting her eyelids, cornea, hands, legs, and face. Now, Wateen has severely limited vision and difficulty walking. She cannot close her eyes fully and is unable to eat solid food, relying instead on milk.

Wateen lives with her mother, Sua’ad, and her eight siblings. While her brothers and sisters play together, Wateen spends much of her time sitting or lying at home.

Sua’ad says her other children try to play with Wateen, but her limited sight and mobility make it difficult for her to join them.

The family previously travelled to Turkey, where they stayed for a year and seven months while Wateen underwent reconstructive surgery. However, she still needs further treatment for her eyes, eyelids, hands, and legs.

“The treatment cost is very high,” Sua’ad says.

Wateen’s treatment is being carried out in stages. When Human Appeal’s team followed her case at Ebla Specialist Hospital, she was undergoing surgery to reconstruct her eyelids. A corneal transplant was planned as a subsequent stage to help improve her vision.

Muhammad Araban, the health projects coordinator in Human Appeal’s Syria office, described the surgery as “an important turning point” for Wateen and her family.

Without financial assistance, Sua’ad says, the family would have had to wait a long time for Wateen’s father to save enough money to cover the treatment.

Sua’ad hopes that Wateen’s treatment will help her become more independent and participate in everyday activities alongside her siblings.

“I hope she can be like the rest of her siblings,” she says. “She will be able to walk, learn, go outside, and play with her siblings.”

Complex medical conditions can require multiple procedures and ongoing treatment. For families unable to afford these costs, accessing care can be difficult.

Human Appeal’s Medical Fund supports patients who need medical treatment. As an open fund, donations are pooled and allocated where care is needed most.

By Human Appeal

Canada