Parents pray for a gift of vision for their little boy (4)
He turned four on October 10 and if the operation is successful, he will never need to wear glasses again
DANKIN Kuter’s parents hope to give him a life-changing fourth birthday present in the form of a much-needed eye operation.
Dankin has a condition called bilateral strabismus. The operation, however, will cost his parents, Maryna and Ernest Kuter, thousands of Rands which they can’t afford.
According to the American Optometric Association, strabismus or ‘crossed-eyes’, is a condition whereby both eyes do not look at the same place at the same time. It usually occurs in people who have poor eye muscle control or are very far-sighted.
Dankin turned four on October 10 and if the operation is successful, he will never need to wear glasses again.
“We want to give him a present he will remember for life during his birthday month. So we have been trying to raise funds for the operation,” his mother said.
His parents first discovered Dankin had a problem when he was 18 months old and started walking into furniture around the house.
“Every day it just became worse. We then took him to a specialist who prescribed glasses for him.
He is now on his fourth pair of glasses which were donated to him by Spec Savers Festival Mall as part of their Kids’ Right to Good Sight initiative, which has helped him tremendously with his vision, especially at crèche.
“He has to wear his glasses all the time at school, otherwise he battles to see which affects his performance.”
His parents decided to consult a private doctor after they found no joy at a public hospital.
“When we went to a government hospital, we were told we could only get a consultation at the end of January.”
Maryna, who is a stay-at-home mom, has also been trying to raise funds by making and selling vetkoek.
Dankin and his family have lived in Kempton all their lives and recently moved to Germiston. However, Dankin and his siblings still attend school in Kempton. Dankin goes to a crèche in Edleen, while Heather (8) and Mikyle (7) both attend Laerskool Edleen.
For more information about the operation and if you would like to make a contribution, contact Maryna on 082 823 2663 or email mk.aspatat@gmail.com.
