LOOK: Toddler could lose eye after being kissed
A two-year-old boy could lose his eye after someone with the herpes virus kissed him.
Michelle Saaiman, the mother of the toddler, shared the devastating news on her Facebook page, revealing that her child may lose his eye after being kissed by someone with a herpes infection – the same virus that causes fever blisters.
Medical experts believe that Juwaan was kissed by someone with an active herpes cold sore on or near his eye.
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The kiss led to an infection of the herpes virus in the young boy's eye.
Saaiman, who lives in Windhoek, Namibia, detailed the horrific ordeal on her Facebook page.
About eight months ago, the devastated mother noticed something was wrong with Juwaan's eye as he developed what appeared to be an eye infection.
Despite using antibiotic drops, the infection worsened, and that’s when the family realised something was seriously wrong.
"We realised he had no feeling in his eye as he put his finger in it, scratching his eyeball without flinching. This is not normal. Something was seriously wrong. I immediately consulted my GP again, and I could see she was extremely concerned. She arranged for us to see an ophthalmologist immediately. I left her office and drove directly to the ophthalmologist," said Saaiman.
A specialist eventually solved the puzzle and diagnosed Juwaan with herpes simplex virus (HSV) in his eye.
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"I won't go into too much detail about all the treatment and trauma, but after spending thousands on medication, two trips to the theatre, hospitalisation, a biopsy, specialist visits (including a paediatrician from the US who assisted), and an amazing pharmacist who had to 'make' special medicine for our baby's condition, we eventually managed to get the virus into remission," she said.
"The scariest part is that if left untreated, the virus can migrate to the brain, leading to severe complications. Since herpes cannot be cured, only managed, it tends to flare up every now and again, which is, unfortunately, what happened to our baby," added Saaiman.
Unfortunately, due to the severe damage to his eye, the road to recovery remains uncertain.
"Due to the damage caused, he developed an open wound in his eye – a corneal defect, 4mm in size," said Saaiman.
"Our baby lost most of his vision and sensation in his left eye. Due to the open wound, the eye is constantly infected. If we can't get the wound to heal, he will lose the eye completely."
In January, the family travelled to South Africa to consult a paediatric ophthalmologist.
In February, Juwaan underwent the first of three surgeries in an attempt to save his eye.
"The second surgery involves harvesting nerves from his leg and implanting them into the eye," wrote Saaiman.
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If the procedure is successful, he may eventually be eligible for a cornea transplant, assuming a compatible donor is found.
His eyelids are stitched shut to protect the eye. It's still uncertain whether any vision can be restored.
"We have made peace with the fact that he could very well be permanently blind in his left eye. Our main priority right now is just to save the eye itself and prevent further infections."
The moral of the story? "Don't let anyone kiss your baby. Such a 'silly' virus caused so much trauma and damage. It's just not worth it!"
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Image: Facebook/ Michelle Saaiman