Sajiya, a 10-year-old girl from Bihar, was identified with visual impairment during a door-to-door screening. While she had had cataract since birth, her family was not aware of her condition. As she got older, Sajiya’s mother noticed a change in her interactions with people and suspected something was wrong. The visual impairment made it challenging for Sajiya to lead an independent life. She didn’t have many friends and didn’t attend school either. Pain, stress, and sometimes taunts, were what colored her day.
Sajiya's Story
One visit to the primary health center (PHC) further discouraged her and her family as they were told that it would be impossible to reverse her blindness even with a surgery. However, taking a leap of faith, her Nanaji (grandfather) took her to Sadhguru Netra Chikitsalaya in Chitrakoot, where she underwent surgery in her left eye. Few months later, during the door-to-door screening, she was identified and referred to the Piro Vision Center and eventually to Akhand Jyoti Eye Hospital for cataract surgery in the right eye. Accompanied by her grandfather, she was transported to the base hospital in the hospital vehicle.
The surgery changed Sajiya’s life as she knew it. Being able to see brought her unfathomable hope and joy. “The happiest moment for me was to be able to see my family - my mother, brothers, sisters, grandparents – whose faces I had never seen before!” She exclaimed. It was surreal. Her happiness and contentment were also evident on her nanaji’s face, who had accompanied her and stood by her every step of the way.
Embracing her new life and the possibilities that it brings; she is looking to secure admission in a school and commence and pursue her education that she had missed all this time and enjoy being a child. Looking forward to leveraging this second chance at life, Sajiya is eager to make friends, learn, grow, and lead a happy and independent life!
