Mary Tlaholoe was 6 months old when she underwent her first eye operation, since then she has forgotten how many operations she has had.
Tlaholoe said that after she was born her grandmother noticed that something was wrong.
“After she took me to hospital it was confirmed that I had Glaucoma. I had operation after operation to salvage my sight,” she said.
Glaucoma is a progressive eye disease that damages the optic nerve. It can lead to gradual irreversible loss of vision and eventual blindness if left untreated.
The 27-year-old has lived with Glaucoma her whole life.
“I have moments when I get scared when I bump into things and people I can’t see. Having Glaucoma means that the eyesight deteriorates and it is very scary,” she said.
“I urge people to get their eyes tested. Public hospitals are free and I advise people to use the free service so that if they have Glaucoma, it can be caught in time and treated,” she said.
