Blind man hopes to see again

LIFE as Phillip Nyambe knew it changed in 2003 when he developed a wound on his left eye and that led to other complications which eventually left him blind.

But Nyambe (27), who grew up at Bukalo village in Zambezi region, aspires to become a surgeon as soon as he regains his eyesight through a surgery which can only be performed in South Africa.

A very hopeful Nyambe told The Namibian during an interview on Monday that as a nine-year-old boy, he thought that after a procedure to treat the wound on his left eye, everything would return to normal and he would regain his full sight.

However, things took a turn for the worse after a year when his other eye started turning red and itchy.

“Soon after, the left eye also started itching. My mother took me to the clinic to get medication, but it was not as effective as we had hoped. However, with time, my eyesight improved, although the eyes were still painful.

In 2005, during an argument, my cousin hit me on the eye, which left me badly injured. When I was taken to the hospital, the doctors declared me disabled as I could not see properly,” he said.

However, this event did not discourage Nyambe, and when he got an opportunity to study at Eluwa Special School at Ongwediva, he grabbed the opportunity and started his Grade 6. However, this opportunity was short-lived due to financial constraints.

“I only managed to finish the first and the second term and then returned to Zambezi region. I was then enrolled at Bukalo Primary School where I completed my Grade 6, 7 and 8. I was short-sighted then and learning was a bit of a challenge for me, but I managed,” he said.

In 2009, Nyambe got another opportunity to return to Eluwa Special School for Grade 9 as the school he was attending at the time could not accommodate pupils with special needs.

Things were going well for him and when he was in Grade 10, he was chosen for the schools athletics team to represent Namibia in Swaziland.

“It was a good trip until we were involved in an accident on our way back. The accident left me badly injured and also affected my already problematic eyes. Following this accident, I was in and out of the hospital because I was left paralysed on the left side of the body and needed physiotherapy. As a result, I did not go back to school,” he said.

At this point, Nyambe accepted his fate of being partially blind and started to learn to live with his condition until he suffered another attack allegedly at the hands of his girlfriend in 2016.

“During an argument that year, the mother of my two boys hit me in my eyes with a bottle. This was the ultimate blow as I completely lost my sight. In an effort to save my eyesight, the doctors operated on me but it was not successful,” he said.

According to Nyambe, he was then referred to a medical facility in Livingstone, Zambia, where he was informed that his retinas were affected and without surgery, he would not see.

This news revived hope for Nyambe who had accepted that he would live out his days on earth without sight.

However, to his dismay, he found out that the surgery can only be done in South Africa and it is very costly.

“The fact that I know that there is a possibility for me to get my eyesight back has brought back my dreams. Life seemed to knock me down at every opportunity it got, but I never gave up. I sincerely believe that I will see again,” he says. Nyambe says the specialists in South Africa are asking N$90 000 for the operation.

The only income Nyambe has is the N$1 300 disability grant from the government and he uses it for himself and to care for his two sons who live with his mother.

“I am the only person able to become someone in life and take care of my family if I get my eyesight back. Therefore, I appeal to my fellow citizens to help me make my surgery possible,” he pleaded.

Nyambe’s mother, Maureen Simasiku (65), said she is truly inspired by her son’s determination because she lost hope as a parent, but he has not.

She says it would be a great advantage to the family if he could get assistance for the surgery.

“As a parent, I don’t feel good seeing my son suffering like this since he was a boy, knowing I cannot help him. However, Nyambe is very strong and faces his challenges head-on. He is my lastborn and my only hope for a better life. Therefore, I appeal to the public to help him to get the needed surgerye” she said.