Schoolboy risks total blindness after losing one eye in childhood accident

Playing in a sandpit seems like a child’s game, but it has turned into a lifelong tragedy for young Rusten !Gu-daob (13).

The Otavi-based Rusten lost his eye after falling onto a stick while playing when he was four years old, and he now risks losing his sight completely.

His grandmother, Petrina !Gu-daos (53), says Rusten was playing with other children at home while the family attended a funeral. He was reportedly digging in the sand with sticks and fell onto one used by a friend.

“He was four years old when it happened. He was taken to the hospital immediately, and they removed his left eye,” she says.

!Gu-daos, who is Rusten’s sole guardian, says the family cannot afford to replace the lost eye with a prosthesis.

When his left eye was removed, the Shalom Primary School pupil was forced to rely on his remaining right eye. However, his condition worsened when his remaining eye began bleeding this year.

A doctor’s letter, seen by The Namibian, indicates that the doctor noticed retinal bleeding from his right eye, and that Rusten can only count fingers at a distance of three centimetres, indicating badly impaired vision.

His teachers and community members are worried that Rusten risks going completely blind, and have appealed for medical assistance to save his vision.

His class teacher, Agnella Kheimses, confirms the bleeding in his right eye, and says he is almost blind.

According to Kheimses, doctors have reportedly said they suspect the removal of the left eye may have affected the right one.

“He can’t see properly. His classmates help write his notes from the chalkboard for him, and he has to hold his book very close to see,” she says.

She believes his poor vision has weakened his academic performance.

Kheimses says she raised about N$1 000 last week to take Rusten to Swakopmund to get him spectacles. However, they were informed that his condition requires specialist medical attention.

Community activist Johannes John has shared Rusten’s story on social media, calling for urgent intervention to prevent him from going completely blind.

“He needs immediate medical attention. His grandmother, who is his guardian, is elderly and unaware of the seriousness of the situation,” he says.

Windhoek Central Hospital ophthalmology department head Helena Ndume has called for Rusten’s immediate admission to hospital.

“It is very urgent because that is his only eye. He needs to come to the hospital so that we can have a look,” she says.

Ndume says the removal of one damaged eye typically does not affect the remaining eye.

Education ministry deputy executive director for schools and formal education Edda Bohn says the ministry is not aware of Rusten’s plight, and will investigate to see whether he can be assisted as soon as possible.

John yesterday confirmed that medical assistance for Rusten has been secured for free at a Windhoek hospital scheduled for next week. However, there are transportation challenges to get him there.

In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.