A mother has spoken of her delight after an Abu Dhabi hospital restored her vision allowing her to see her children clearly for the first time in years.
Ellyzabeth Lukitasari feared she would no longer see her children’s faces, or their smiles. After five years of worsening vision, the Indonesian mother-of-two feared her world would go dark.
Diagnosed with glaucoma while living in her home country, she had managed the condition with medication and daily eye drops. But her sight continued to deteriorate.
“Every month, the world looked a little foggier,” said Ms Lukitasari, 34. “I worried that one day, I wouldn’t even recognise my children’s faces.”
Now, thanks to a combination of complex surgeries performed at Moorfields Eye Hospital Abu Dhabi, she is able to see them clearly once more.
A life transformed
“The first thing I saw clearly after the bandages came off was my daughter’s smile,” she said. “It felt like a second life.”
Ms Lukitasari moved to the UAE with her husband and children three years ago. Her husband, Mochamad Soleh Wicaksono, recalled how limited her vision had become.
“She couldn’t see more than three metres ahead,” he said. “Our doctor in Indonesia found glaucoma, but they couldn’t do much because the nerve was already too thin.”
A comprehensive assessment at Moorfields, part of the M42 healthcare network, revealed the problem was more complex.
Dr Usman Mahmood, consultant ophthalmologist, diagnosed advanced glaucoma, dense cataracts in both eyes, and a misalignment of the eyes, a condition known as strabismus or squint, which was further impairing her sight.
“The cataracts stemmed from chronic uveitis affecting the back of the eye,” said Dr Mahmood. “We needed to remove them under steroid control before correcting the alignment. It demanded close collaboration across our sub-specialities.”
Ms Lukitasari had several procedures, starting in February and ending in May, beginning with cataract surgery on both eyes followed by strabismus correction. It took a few days after the second eye cataract surgery for her vision to become much better, which allowed her to clearly see her children and support them in daily tasks. Upon completion of the squint surgery alignment her vision got even better gradually.
“Addressing the cataracts first allowed us to accurately measure the squint and plan the second procedure,” said Dr Mahmood. “I’m pleased to see her vision improve significantly, along with her quality of life. She seems very happy.”
Following cataract removal, Ms Lukitasari was referred to Dr Irfan Khan, consultant ophthalmologist, who performed the strabismus correction surgery to realign her eyes and optimise binocular vision.
“There is a common misconception that squint surgery can’t be done on eyes with poor vision – that’s a myth,” said Dr Khan. “If it’s performed properly and is successful, patients can maintain good ocular alignment for life. I’m very pleased with the outcome in her case.”
Had the surgeries not been performed, doctors say Ms Lukitasari would likely have lost her remaining vision, leaving her unable to care for her children, read or navigate daily life.
“Thank you to Moorfields Eye Hospital – the doctors, the nurses, and all the staff who achieved this miracle for my wife,” said Mr Wicaksono. “She used to know people by their voice. Now she can see everyone. It has changed our lives.”
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Kat Wightman's tips on how to create zones in large spaces
- Area carpets or rugs are the easiest way to segregate spaces while also unifying them.
- Lighting can help define areas. Try pendant lighting over dining tables, and side and floor lamps in living areas.
- Keep the colour palette the same in a room, but combine different tones and textures in different zone. A common accent colour dotted throughout the space brings it together.
- Don’t be afraid to use furniture to break up the space. For example, if you have a sofa placed in the middle of the room, a console unit behind it will give good punctuation.
- Use a considered collection of prints and artworks that work together to form a cohesive journey.
Race card for Super Saturday
4pm: Al Bastakiya Listed US$250,000 (Dh918,125) (Dirt) 1,900m.
4.35pm: Mahab Al Shimaal Group 3 $200,000 (D) 1,200m.
5.10pm: Nad Al Sheba Conditions $200,000 (Turf) 1,200m.
5.45pm: Burj Nahaar Group 3 $200,000 (D) 1,600m.
6.20pm: Jebel Hatta Group 1 $300,000 (T) 1,800m.
6.55pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 Group 1 $400,000 (D) 2,000m.
7.30pm: Dubai City of Gold Group 2 $250,000 (T) 2,410m.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
MATCH INFO
Norwich City 0 Southampton 3 (Ings 49', Armstrong 54', Redmond 79')
How to become a Boglehead
Bogleheads follow simple investing philosophies to build their wealth and live better lives. Just follow these steps.
• Spend less than you earn and save the rest. You can do this by earning more, or being frugal. Better still, do both.
• Invest early, invest often. It takes time to grow your wealth on the stock market. The sooner you begin, the better.
• Choose the right level of risk. Don't gamble by investing in get-rich-quick schemes or high-risk plays. Don't play it too safe, either, by leaving long-term savings in cash.
• Diversify. Do not keep all your eggs in one basket. Spread your money between different companies, sectors, markets and asset classes such as bonds and property.
• Keep charges low. The biggest drag on investment performance is all the charges you pay to advisers and active fund managers.
• Keep it simple. Complexity is your enemy. You can build a balanced, diversified portfolio with just a handful of ETFs.
• Forget timing the market. Nobody knows where share prices will go next, so don't try to second-guess them.
• Stick with it. Do not sell up in a market crash. Use the opportunity to invest more at the lower price.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Heavily-sugared soft drinks slip through the tax net
Some popular drinks with high levels of sugar and caffeine have slipped through the fizz drink tax loophole, as they are not carbonated or classed as an energy drink.
Arizona Iced Tea with lemon is one of those beverages, with one 240 millilitre serving offering up 23 grams of sugar - about six teaspoons.
A 680ml can of Arizona Iced Tea costs just Dh6.
Most sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, five teaspoons of sugar in a 500ml bottle.
MATCH INFO
Tottenham Hotspur 0 Everton 1 (Calvert-Lewin 55')
Man of the Match Allan (Everton)
Green ambitions
- Trees: 1,500 to be planted, replacing 300 felled ones, with veteran oaks protected
- Lake: Brown's centrepiece to be cleaned of silt that makes it as shallow as 2.5cm
- Biodiversity: Bat cave to be added and habitats designed for kingfishers and little grebes
- Flood risk: Longer grass, deeper lake, restored ponds and absorbent paths all meant to siphon off water
The specs: 2017 Maserati Quattroporte
Price, base / as tested Dh389,000 / Dh559,000
Engine 3.0L twin-turbo V8
Transmission Eight-speed automatic
Power 530hp @ 6,800rpm
Torque 650Nm @ 2,000 rpm
Fuel economy, combined 10.7L / 100km
ABU%20DHABI'S%20KEY%20TOURISM%20GOALS%3A%20BY%20THE%20NUMBERS
%3Cp%3EBy%202030%2C%20Abu%20Dhabi%20aims%20to%20achieve%3A%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E%E2%80%A2%2039.3%20million%20visitors%2C%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20nearly%2064%25%20up%20from%202023%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E%E2%80%A2%20Dh90%20billion%20contribution%20to%20GDP%2C%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20about%2084%25%20more%20than%20Dh49%20billion%20in%202023%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E%E2%80%A2%20178%2C000%20new%20jobs%2C%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20bringing%20the%20total%20to%20about%20366%2C000%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E%E2%80%A2%2052%2C000%20hotel%20rooms%2C%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20up%2053%25%20from%2034%2C000%20in%202023%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E%E2%80%A2%207.2%20million%20international%20visitors%2C%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20almost%2090%25%20higher%20compared%20to%202023's%203.8%20million%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E%E2%80%A2%203.9%20international%20overnight%20hotel%20stays%2C%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2022%25%20more%20from%203.2%20nights%20in%202023%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
How to vote
Canadians living in the UAE can register to vote online and be added to the International Register of Electors.
They'll then be sent a special ballot voting kit by mail either to their address, the Consulate General of Canada to the UAE in Dubai or The Embassy of Canada in Abu Dhabi
Registered voters mark the ballot with their choice and must send it back by 6pm Eastern time on October 21 (2am next Friday)
