Maria's Story- Overcoming congenital cataracts

Maria underwent surgery at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) in 2019 to remove congenital cataracts, a surgery that would change her life forever. At GOSH, we treat over 1,500 children from the Middle East every year for rare and complex conditions. 

Maria was diagnosed with congenital cataracts whilst she was still in the womb via ultrasound imaging. Her diagnosis was further confirmed by Paediatric Ophthalmologists after she was born in Qatar.

Congenital cataract is a rare condition where the lens of the eye is cloudy instead of clear at birth, impairing vision in one or both eyes. Her family were aware of the high likelihood that Maria may have the condition since it is hereditary in her family.

Maria required surgery within the first few weeks of birth to reduce the possibility of significant long-term vision problems.

We had researched the options for cataract surgery overseas and given GOSH’s reputation, it made sense to have Maria’s treatment completed there

Maria’s mum, Jeanne

Maria underwent surgery in July 2019 and was treated by Dr William Moore, a Paediatric Ophthalmologist at GOSH. The surgery was successful and she was fitted with specific aphakic glasses afterwards to help improve her eyesight.

The family revisited GOSH in December 2019 for a follow-up appointment to check on Maria’s progress post-surgery.

We were impressed with the speed and efficiency with which Maria’s surgery was handled. Staff were kind, professional and most importantly, the medical care is second to none.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Paediatric Ophthalmology team supported us extensively with virtual consults and by sending us further pairs of Maria’s aphakic glasses to Qatar, as her prescription could not be effectively handled locally.

Maria's mum, Jeanne

Now 3 years old, Maria is living a normal life. Her parents say she has a very busy schedule back home in Qatar. We spoke with Maria and her mother Jeanne over the holidays to get an update on Maria and to get their insight on what Christmas is like for an expat family in the Middle East.

How is Maria doing now? 

Maria is now a precocious three-year-old and has just started school in Doha. She is very artistic and spends hours drawing by herself. She enjoys complex jigsaw puzzles and can complete ones of up to 60 or 70 pieces. She is learning to read and loves sounding out new words. Her development owes much to the excellent care and early visual intervention that she received at GOSH.

What are her favourite foods and hobbies?

Maria is an absolute foodie and will eat pretty much anything – from kimchi and sushi to a Sunday roast.

Jeanne are there any last words you would like to say?

We are grateful to all the doctors and nurses at GOSH. We are particularly thankful to Dr Will Moore, Maria’s paediatric ophthalmologist, and Jess Gowing, Maria’s dispensing optician.