This has been a day I don't want to forget, so I am making myself take the time to write about it before the details escape me.
We are just finishing up week two of three weeks of children's cataracts and strabismus operations. Right now my work life is much busier here on ship than it was before the holidays- we have several wonderful surgeons on board, we are doing twice as many adult surgeries each day and- to my great delight- we have cataract kids on the wards! Because the kids need to have their operation done under general anesthesia, they are admitted to the ward one day before surgery and stay one day after.
Today was the first post-op visit for 11 kids who had surgery recently. Instead of doing the visit at the clinic we brought them in the eye room on ship, so I had a room full of smiling, energetic SEEING children.
Two weeks ago, every single one of these children were blind. They were quiet when they came on board the first time; they clung to their parents and took in their world caution and hesitation.
Today, everything was different. The kids walked confidently up the gangway alongside their parents. Two of the boys walked hand in hand, they were in beds next to each other on the ward last week. While they were blind they did not talk to or acknowledge each other, but once their eye patches came off the morning after surgery they became inseparable friends.
This is the first time I have had so many kids in the eye room at once. When I looked at all the wiggly 4-7 year olds, the dance teacher part of me sprang to life and saw a classroom. The opportunity for play was too good to pass up- while we were waiting for our surgeon to finish in the OR, I sat with all the kids on the floor in circle. We put all our feet in the middle and pointed and flexed our toes just like I did with the littlest dancers at home and then we played a version of "simon says". The kind nurses of A ward let me take a couple balloons out of their drawer and the kids and hit it back and forth.
The whole time I marveled at the miracle before me. Less than two weeks ago these kids saw little or not at all. Now here they are playing games with me, active as any other kids would be. The mother of a 7 year old boy told me that the very first thing her son did when they left the ship was to ask for a pen and paper. He wanted to know how to write the alphabet.
Most mornings when I get the eye room ready I listen to the same song called "oh how I need you"- it talks about seeking after the Lord and being near to Him. The bridge begins with the words "light, glorious light I will go where you shine". Those words were on my mind while watched the kids today- light is glorious, both to our physical eyes and to our souls. Today was a day of rejoicing in the light and the freedom that it brings.
Light glorious light
I will go where You shine
Break the dawn , crack the skies
Make the wave right before me
In Your light I will find
All I need, all I need is You
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