Retinitis pigmentosa ( I ) : Visually challenged employ sighted ones

Nearly fifteen years ago I came across an elderly man with a young son who had an ocular ailment called "Retinitis pigmentosa (RP)". RP typically affects the eye sight in such a manner that night vision is affected , field of vision is gradually reduced and eventually reduced to a tunnel vision. In order to understand the problem of a patient with progressive RP, you are advised to role two papers in the form of a tunnel applied close to your eyes and then try to cross a busy road.

They had been to dozens of ophthalmologists in India and carried a heavy file weighing more than at least a kilogram of papers. It took me nearly 10 minutes to browse through their correspondence with doctors, clinics, those providing alternative medicines as well as those making tall claims about restoring vision (without even knowing about the ailment).

I was impressed with the spirit of the father who left no stone unturned. They even corresponded with " Ophthalmic clinics of North America" thinking them to be a clinic while in reality they are a publisher. I wish everyone could have that kind of never say die attitude.

Wherever I have gone, I found the patients of RP harbouring hopes despite often getting relatively poor attention in Ophthalmic clinics. Its a low priority area for amny since it does not fetch surgical revenue. Some of these have left their contact details so the I could tell them about any subsequent break through.

Among the remarkable patients of RP, were two sisters in mid thirties. I met Them around 7 years ago. They are no longer sighted, but instead of feeling dejected they emanate hope for others. Of course when they saw me in my clinic, they wanted a miracle, which I can't perform. Nevertheless they left on a positive note when I told them, they were better than many of us as they ran a school and thereby "employed" many sighted individuals like me. There school is somewhere in Almora, in the hills of Kumaon in Uttaranchal, India. I have been through the area, but never had a chance to locate it.

I know the future of kids at that school is in right hands.