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The parents of 11-month-old Ky’Mani Thompson are pleading with the public to help them raise US$16,000 for their baby to undergo surgery in Miami to save his eyesight.
Ky’Mani has been diagnosed with Bilateral Stage Five Retinopathyof prematurity (ROP) and is in danger of becoming blind.
But, there is no paediatric vitreo-retinal surgeon in T&T to perform the surgery on Ky’Mani, who, according to a letter from Dr Anil Armoogum of the Ophthalmology Department of the San Fernando General Hospital (SFGH), needs highly specialised care to avoid blindness.
Ky’Mani, the last of the three children to parents Sarah Greene-Thompson, 29 and D’Andre Thompson, 35, was born prematurely at 29 weeks with a weight of 1.365 kgs at the SFGH on September 13, 2017.
After being in an incubator for a month, Ky’Mani underwent a routine eye test for premature babies and was subsequently discharged.
Speaking at their La Romaine home about the situation, Greene-Thompson, an administrative clerk, said the disease affects premature babies and had it been detected at birth it would have been easily treated.
However, the mother was told by doctors that in Ky’Mani’s case the disease affected him later on, which is rare.
However, she recalled that she had complained several times to the doctors during routine check-ups at the hospital that Ky’Mani was not focussing and something was wrong with his eyes.
“They kept saying because he was born premie the muscles behind his eyes need to develop,” Greene-Thompson told the T&T Guardian.
She took her son, then five months old, to a private ophthalmologist who examined him and gave her a referral letter to take him back to the hospital.
She said he was again examined at the hospital, tests were carried out and he was diagnosed with the condition.
She said Ky’Mani was later scheduled and in the operating room for surgery at the SFGH but the surgeon cancelled it.
“He was prepped for the surgery and sedated. After he was examined the doctor told me that in his medical opinion nothing could be done because of the amount of scarring that has already formed in his eyes,” she said.
“And if (he) goes into his eyes into his eyes it is possible Ky’Mani could be afflicted with glaucoma, it could cause further damage to his eyes and they could become discoloured and look as though he is blind.
He refused to do the surgery.”
Greene-Thompson said Dr Armoogum subsequently referred her to a paediatric doctor at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Miami.
They contacted the institute and were given a consultation appointment for August 16, but they had to reschedule because they could not afford the plane tickets and the US$5,000 consultation and examination fee.
The cost of the entire process— consultation, exams and surgery—is US$16,000.
While they await a new appointment, the parents have been trying to raise funds through various food sales.
They also made appeals via social media and also set up a Go Fund Me account and reached out to the Hope of a Miracle Foundation.
The parents also sought help from the Children’s Life Fund but were told his case did not meet the requirements.
“We are nowhere close to raising the money. We are just trying to see what we could do but the grace of God,” Greene-Thompson said.
“We are just hoping that by some miracle we get through with the foundation to assist us.” Greene-Thompson, a slot machine technician, believes their son can now only see bright lights but said they have been told his sight will continue to deteriorate. She said Ky’Mani has no pain but the glare affects his eyes, causing him to frequently rub and squint them. The parents are still in the process of setting up a bank account.
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What causes ROP?
According to the National Eye Institute in the United States, ROP occurs when abnormal blood vessels grow and spread throughout theretina, the tissue that lines the back of the eye.
These abnormal blood vessels are fragile and can leak, scarring the retina and pulling it out of position.
This causes a retinal detachment. Retinal detachment is the main cause of visual impairment and blindness in ROP.
Persons willing to assist can send donations to https://www.gofundme. com/save-ky039mani039s-sight, or contact them at 394-3926 or sarah-greene-thompson@hotmail.com.