Student goes from being blind to seeing the world in 15 minutes

In just 15 minutes, Atang Makhubedu went from being blind to seeing the world in high definition.

The 25-year-old final-year public relations student had been living with type 1 diabetes since childhood and started losing her vision in May last year.

“I struggled to see people’s faces clearly. I could tell if someone was wearing blue jeans or a green shirt, but I couldn’t make out their faces at all,” Makhubedu said.

The blurry vision made day-to-day life difficult.

“Walking became a bit difficult because everything was so blurry and I had a hard time understanding what was wrong about me,” she said.

Though she was advised to get glasses, she decided to wait a little longer, “but one day I woke up and realised that I could not see at all out of my left eye”.

“It was difficult for me to cope with this.”

“I was hesitant to tell anyone in my house because I didn’t want to bother them. I did my own research. I found out that I might have cataracts, but I wasn’t sure. I needed confirmation,” Makhubedu said.

A doctor confirmed she had cataracts in both eyes.

“In my left eye, I was completely blind and could see nothing, while my right eye was progressing similarly. I felt afraid,” she said.

Makhubedu's studies were also deeply affected.

“I could not see anything at all and the brightness was so intense that it hurt my eyes. It was difficult for me to ask for help with school. However, by the grace of God, I passed all my modules except for one that required me to be on the computer most of the time.”

Her sister’s intervention changed everything.

“She reached out to every hospital and foundation she could find online and the Netcare Foundation responded. I wasn’t optimistic at all, but was grateful that she was trying to help me.

“When she first said they responded and needed documents, I couldn’t believe it. She showed me the e-mail and I was so happy that I cried. But I reminded myself not to keep my hopes too high,” Makhubedu said.

She was called in for a consultation and received a surgery date for March 4.

After the 15-minute procedure, her sight was restored.

“The moment I opened my eyes, I did not believe it, to be honest. Everything was so quick. The next day, when I opened my eyes fully, I could finally see my phone and watch TV without pain. Everything is in high definition.”

Though she couldn’t graduate this year due to one failed module, she remains hopeful.

“All I know is that I want to help people; I just haven’t pinpointed which career field I want to go into yet. To those going through my situation, talk to people. You’d be surprised how many people understand what you’re going through and are willing to help,” Makhubedu said.

According to Dr Sachin Bawa, an ophthalmic surgeon at Netcare Linkwood, cataracts involve the loss of clarity in the human lens.

“The clear lens is found behind the eye’s pupil and when it becomes cloudy, it can cause visual impairment. Most people will develop age-related cataracts, but it can occur in young people with certain risk factors such as diabetes, chronic use of medications like steroids, trauma to the eye and genetic issues,” said Bawa.

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