Meet Reitumetsi
Looking Ahead
Little eyes require a lot of love and care, especially while they grow and develop. Did you know? Being able to focus your eyes and use the information gathered from sight is learned through stimulation. For little children, the best way to stimulate their eyes and learning abilities is through play. Playing is one of the most effective ways to stimulate visual development in children.
Reitumetsi dreams of being a doctor. Her attention to detail is just a tiny clue to how conscientious she is. She takes her time to think about answers to some of the most important questions, for example: What would you do if you could do anything? And when she answers, it’s a very long list!
This little 9-year-old from Gugulethu has quite an itinerary ahead of her, speckled with interesting countries, scalpels and blood, beautiful clothes and delicious feasts. Reitumetsi has a vision.
Her eyes were the reason she came to the Children’s Hospital when she was just three years old. A congenital defect meant that Reitumetsi needed surgery.
Reitumetsi has been attending the Eye Clinic at Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital since 2015. Her local GP in Gugulethu referred her here when she noticed something during a check-up. It was here that Dr Pollock informed Naledi, Reitumetsi’s mom, that her daughter was born without any cartilage in her eyes and would need implants.
The eyes play a crucial role in the development of a child’s hand and eye coordination. A simple task such as making a cup of tea would be difficult if you were not able to aim and pour boiling water. This is not jus
t important for everyday life, but it is vital for playing sports, interacting with others, and learning to read and write at school.
Receiving treatment and consistent therapeutic play that stimulates the development of her eye will allow for fast recovery and the holistic development of her healing journey.
“Those two operations were the worst time. It was so frightening”, says Naledi. “But I’m glad I did it.”
This was the beginning of Reitumetsi’s healing journey. Every year she gets new spectacles, and a check-up to monitor the temperature of her eyes. She will have to visit the hospital until adulthood. Her visits are what have inspired this little one to dream of being a doctor. She also wants to heal children and Dr Pollock is one of her biggest inspirations.
Naledi, Reitumetsi’s mom, explains: “At first she wanted to be just a doctor, then when she came here, she wanted to be like Dr Pollock. And then she saw the Christian Barnard Museum and she was fascinated! She wants to be a cardiologist.”
Reitumetsi has researched her dream and has a clear vision of her study plan to turn her dream into reality.
The implants may make her eyes sparkle, but it’s the sparkle in her spirit that shines so much brighter. With a dream in her heart, young Reitumetsi can look further ahead, and take big steps into a brighter tomorrow.
Your contribution allows children like Reitumetsi to shift their focus from the problems with eyesight to the dreams of her vision.
100% of your donation will go towards building a dream Therapeutic Playground for children who deserve to heal through play. Because of you, they can live again, because of you, they can play again. Because of you, their dreams matter!
Reitumetsi shares her dreams:
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