Mariam Awad, Gaza, September 2011

Mariam is a 21 years old student from Gaza.  In April 2011, Mariam started feeling pain in her left eye, and she was advised to visit the St. John satellite Clinic in Gaza City. She was found to have a serious infection, a corneal ulcer (microbial keratitis).

The results of tests and the poor response to antibiotics antibiotics finally lead doctors to think it was due to acanthoamoeba, a type of parasite (protozoan) found in water and soil, which can cause particular problems in people who use contact lenses, as Mariam did. After 5 months, despite appropriate treatment, and regular clinic attendences, Mariam’s eye did not improve and the distress, from the pain and blurred vision, increased.

To prevent the eye being lost to a more serious infection from a perforation that appeared, it was decided she needed an urgent corneal transplantation operation. Mariam travelled to Jerusalem where she received surgery on the 21st of September 2011, performed by eye surgeon, Dr. Nick Sargent. The procedure was performed under general anaesthesia and was completed within an hour. After the surgery, Mariam’s vision improved and the pain that she had felt previously, has disappeared along with all traces of infection. It is expected that the vision will continue to improve.

*Mariam Awad

Corneal disease is the second biggest cause of blindness in the oPt. From the epidemiology study performed by St. John Eye Hospital Group in 2008, just over 1 in 8 Palestinians who are blind, have lost their sight because of scarring over the cornea. The cornea is the clear part of the eye that acts as a ‘window’ for light to enter inside. Scars can be caused by many diseases including infections, keratoconus and genetic disorders. In many cases, removing the diseased cornea and replacing it with a healthy cornea from a deceased person acting as a donor, can improve the sight significantly, sometimes even back to normal vision.

One of the main centres for such corneal transplantations is the St. John eye Hospital in Jerusalem. Most of the corneas are from donors in the USA and are sent by Tissue Bank International (TBI).  This is organised by the St John Priory in the USA.   

Like many people in Gaza, Mariam belongs to a family facing the challenges of poverty, along with her nine siblings. The mother has to make up for the father’s current unepmployment, which is only partly supplemented with social assistance from the Palestinian Authority. For this reason, they were not able to find money to pay for the operation. St. John was able to provide her with the necessary financial cover in order to prevent a delay in receiving the vital surgical care through our Patient Relief Fund.

Mariam gratefully appreciated the assistance provided both by the hospital and the donors who helped her to continue with a normal life. She said,”I feel really good, thanks to St. John Eye Hospital and the donors”.  Mariam is continuing to study at university in Gaza to become a teacher.