Ahmed Elnajar, Gaza, January 2011

Ahmed Elnajar lives with his parents, two brothers and three sisters in one of the refugee camps in the Gaza Strip, in a small house consisting of two rooms.  His father is unemployed. 

His father became concerned about Ahmed after the boy suffered a stone-throw to the right eye and his vision began to deteriorate. 

The injury induced a cataract in Ahmed’s eye with the corresponding clouding in vision.  When his friends began to call him names due to the defect in his eye – not uncommon in the OPT – Ahmed’s father took him to the local municipal eye hospital in Gaza.  There, Ahmed underwent an operation that was unsuccessful and Mr Elnajar lost hope that his son would regain his sight. 

*Ahmed Elnajar

Several relatives and neighbours advised the Elnajars to take Ahmed to the St. John Eye Clinic in Gaza where Ahmed was finally seen by our doctors. 

He was immediately scheduled to have an operation to remove the cataract and replace it with an intraocular lens (IOL).  The operation was successfully performed in our Gaza operating theatre. 

After his treatment, Ahmed was again able to play with his peers and to read and study properly at school.  His family were all delighted.  Mr Elnajar said that he is, “very grateful to St. John as Ahmed can now be like other children and take part in the world around him again”.