Blind baby girl sees mom for the first time after surgery

Nicolly Pereira, a 2-year-old girl from Santa Catarina, Brazil, was born blind due to a condition called pediatric glaucoma.

According to NTD, people with that illness have their eyes filled with fluid. Nicolly’s case was so severe that even her ears were blocked with the fluid, which meant that she was also deaf.

Daiana Pereira, the toddler’s mother, did everything she could to help her daughter. She took her to many doctors in Brazil who performed several surgeries but all of them were unsuccessful.Nicolly’s family began a fundraising so they could go to Bascom Palmer Eye Institute at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. With the help of the Jackson Health Foundation’s International Kids Fund and many other donors, the Pereiras raised $17,000.

Doctor Alana Grajewski performed the three-hour long surgery and said that it was successful. However, they had to wait for her eyes to heal so they can remove the bandage and know if it really had been a success.

Excited for that moment, Daiana’s family recorded the moment when Dr. Grajewski removed the adhesive bandage. Nicolly opened her eyes and saw the world for the first time.

Daiana couldn’t hold back her tears and admitted that it was the best feeling in the world. She pointed out that Nicolly ‘now shines more than before’ and that she became a reference for those who don’t believe in miracles.

Apart from that, Dr. Ramzi Younis, a pediatric ENT specialist at UHealth, performed a 30-minute long surgery that drained the fluid in her ears. Not only can she see but also she can hear.

Daiana admitted that even though her daughter is short-sighted and she has to wear glasses, the world is a ‘brighter’ place for her. Nicolly will be visiting the doctor frequently to check if there are more ways to improve her vision.

Nowadays, the Pereiras are thankful for all the help they got from the donors and the Jackson Health Foundation’s International Kids Fund. They also thanked doctors Grajewski and Younis for their help.