Christolyte is a happy, active child, who is curious about the world. Bright colours catch her eye, and she loves to reach out and explore. However, soon after she was born, Augustina noticed her baby’s eye looked swollen and irritated. It clearly made Christolyte uncomfortable and left Augustina worried something might be seriously wrong with her vision.
Meet Christolyte: The Baby Whose Sight Was Saved by Orbis
When Augustina discovered she was expecting her daughter Christolyte, she was overjoyed. “I had been told that I couldn’t have any more children,” she recalls. With a ten-year-old son already at home, being able to welcome another child felt like an incredible blessing.
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The Diagnosis
At an Orbis-supported hospital in Ghana, doctors diagnosed Christolyte with paediatric glaucoma. Paediatric glaucoma is completely different to glaucoma in adults as it causes the cornea to become cloudy, affecting the infant’s vision. The thought of her tiny daughter in pain, facing surgery, was unbearable: “it felt like something ripping inside me.” But she started to feel hope after the doctors reassured her that paediatric glaucoma is treatable if caught early enough.
Augustina dreams of being a nurse and knows that access to eye care is vital - “the eye does a lot – it’s how we receive the world. Good eyesight is important for getting around, for education, and for life itself. You need regular check-ups to take care of your eyes properly.”
Surgery and Recovery
Thanks to Orbis, Christolyte received bilateral glaucoma surgery. “She was having trouble seeing, but now she’s able to see again. It means the world to me,” Augustina says. Over the next three months, Christolyte will receive follow-up care, and her condition will need to be monitored for the rest of her life.
Today, she can see clearly and enjoy the vibrant world around her.
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Hopes for the Future
Augustina’s dreams for Christolyte are boundless. “I’ll support her dreams and do everything to make them a reality. I’m just happy she can see again and have a normal life.” She hopes her daughter might become a nurse, continuing a family dream, or even a pilot, anything that allows Christolyte to soar.
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How Orbis Makes a Difference
Christolyte’s story is one of hope, resilience, and the life-changing impact of specialist eye care. Orbis works in communities across the world, training local healthcare teams, providing equipment, and ensuring children like Christolyte can receive timely treatment for preventable blindness.
You can help more children like Christolyte see and thrive. Support Orbis by donating or signing up for our newsletter below to stay updated with our work and inspiring patient stories from around the world.
