Caretaker, Morris Bila (58), always has a cheerful smile and wave for the boys as they walk the corridors every day. But unfortunately, Bila had cataracts that had left him with one percent of his vision, and was unable to see the boys’ faces or to perform daily tasks without assistance. This before the matrics stepped in.
“The matric class traditionally bestows a gift upon their school at the end of the school year,” explained headmaster Roger Cameron. “The gift is usually a plaque, trophy or something that will leave a lasting legacy.”
This year, the boys did something different, raising enough money to pay for cataract removal on one of Bila’s eyes. Hearing of the initiative, the Netcare Foundation offered to fund surgery to Bila’s other eye. Bila underwent an operation on his right eye in July, followed by surgery to his left eye on 14 October. Unfortunately, only 30 to 50 percent of his vision could be restored.
“Morris is not your usual, straightforward cataracts patient,” said ophthalmologist Dr Sachin Bawa who performed the operation. “He also suffers from a degenerative condition of the eye called asteroid hyalosis… [which] adversely impacts his already impaired vision. In addition, Morris has diabetes, which also further limits his full visual potential.”
A cataract is a clouding of the eye’s lens due to aging, medical conditions such as diabetes, excessive exposure to ultraviolet light, injury, or taking steroids. Cataracts are the leading cause of blindness in South Africa where an estimated 160 000 people wait for surgery.
According to Bawa, cataracts have a severe socio-economic and psychological impact on sufferers. Loss of vision left Bila, who is young and healthy enough to earn a living, barely able to walk without assistance.
“What many people do not really know is that cataracts deprive people of their quality of life….I think the boys at St John’s College and the Netcare Foundation should be commended for not only giving Morris back his sight but also for giving back his life,” commented Bawa.
