In Tuléar, a coastal city in southern Madagascar, six-year-old Isidore has spent most of his childhood living in blurred shadows. Born with bilateral cataracts, his vision was limited to little more than light and shapes. He would sit for long stretches gazing at the sun or staring at the torch on his mother’s phone, fascinated by the only brightness he could perceive.
“When he was six months old, I noticed he was having problems with his eyesight,” his mother remembers. “He would just tap at the toys I gave him. When I waved my hands in front of his eyes, he didn’t react. That’s when I realised something was wrong.”
The family sought medical advice, but the only available treatment was far beyond their reach. The surgery cost around €100 and could only be done in the capital, Antananarivo—over 1,000 kilometres away. For parents surviving on around €2 a day, supporting several children while grieving the loss of four others, such a journey was impossible.
Despite the challenges, Isidore was surrounded by love and acceptance at home. His mother recalls, “Nobody rejects him; we welcome him as he is. His siblings and grandparents treat him with fairness, like any other child.”
Then came the breakthrough the family had been hoping for. Through a CBM-supported programme at SALFA Tanambao Tuléar Hospital, local families were offered free cataract treatment for children. Isidore’s mother went to learn more, and weeks later she received the call that changed everything: Isidore was scheduled for surgery.
“I was so happy when I found out my son’s case was finally going to be treated,” she said. “I was very moved to know that he was going to have his eyes operated on.”
The operation went smoothly, and doctors confirmed there were no complications. However, because Isidore had lived so long without treatment, his brain had adapted poorly to processing vision, leading to amblyopia—a condition that requires ongoing rehabilitation to strengthen sight.
Still, his parents are already seeing progress. They watch with joy as Isidore begins to respond more to his surroundings, noticing changes in light and colour that he had never been able to before. “We are happy to see a slight improvement in his eyesight, and we hope it will continue,” his mother shares.
For the first time, the family dares to believe in a brighter future. With rehabilitation and continued support, Isidore has the chance to grow up seeing the world with new eyes.
