The parents of a little boy born with no eyes have told of their joy that their son has made enough progress to start pre-school.
Little Jacob Nowak, who celebrates his third birthday tomorrow, was born with a rare condition called anophthalmia, that left him without eyeballs or optic nerves and facing six years of surgery.
His parents Mariusz and Wiola had feared that Jacob, from Millstreet in Cork, would have no quality of life after discovering there was no funding available from the HSE to cover his €300,000 medical bills.
However, an overwhelming response from the public has transformed his life and allowed him to travel to Germany every three months for vital treatment.
To date he has visited Germany eight times, where specialists have routinely fitted prosthetic eyes and socket extenders into his head, allowing his face and skull to develop properly.
Next month Jacob will hit another huge milestone when he starts his pre-school year, under the watch of a specially-assigned care specialist, at a mainstream montessori in Millstreet … read the full article from the Irish Examiner (25th Aug 2012)
Links:
Irish Examiner (25th Aug) – Boy born with no eyes to start preschool
Irish Sun (25th Aug) – Joy as no-eyes boy starts playschool
BabyJacob.ie – Jacob’s website which has his story since before he was born
A very Happy Third Birthday, Jacob. We all wish you the very best as you begin Pre-School. Your Mum and Dad and sister, Paula must be so very proud of you. You are all a true inspiration to everyone.