New hope for blind newborn

An Indian national, Abdullah who was born two days ago with impaired vision at a hospital in Jeddah has received aid from the Ebsar Foundation to have his eyesight restored.
The foundation got him admitted to the Al-Magrabi Eye Specialist Hospital for treatment, where the cost will be borne by the Foundation.
Mohammed Towfik Bellow, secretary-general of Ebsar, said that the father of the child brought him to the foundation hoping that they’d help him.
“When the child was brought to us, he didn’t had a name and Ebsar suggested Abdullah. It is the first time in the history of Ebsar to help a newborn infected with a congenital eye problem, with white water and a white spot on the iris and on the pupil of the eye.
Bellow said: “Doctors told the parents that the baby’s eyes were not moving as well. It was an emergency case, so the Foundation transferred the baby immediately to Al-Magrabi Hospital for treatment.
“The doctor told us that the baby may need surgery and he may lose his vision forever if not treated immediately.”
Bellow said: “Our Foundation helps in such cases without any discrimination. Helping others is a social responsibly.”
He added that it is very important to treat such cases in time and that it is Ebsar’s mission to save as many people as possible from blindness and eye disabilities.
Abdullah’s father, Adil Abubakar, who has been living in Saudi Arabia for a long time and working at an insurance company for SR 2,800 a month without any other income, was not able to treat the child because of the cost involved.
Abubakar was worried when he found the baby born without vision.
Abubakar said: “I can’t afford the treatment to save my baby from blindness. I was shocked when I came to know that his eyes were not moving and doctors told us that the baby is having congenital problems and was in need of immediate treatment at a specialized eye hospital to avoid definitive blindness.
“This is the humane side of the Kingdom, where people, charitable organizations and foundations like Ebsar help the less fortunate. The support of the organization reflects the noble ethics of the Saudi people.”
He added that he feared not being helped since he was non-Saudi at the outset but soon found that aid is not given according to nationality at the foundation.