Our latest ROMAC child is Maradona,. He’s 7 years old and comes from the Solomon islands, about a 3 hour pickup truck ride west of Honiara.
In June he was speared just below the eye by a sword fish while fishing with his father. The wound healed and everyone thought he was OK. But then his eye started to turn and he was taken to a local doctor in Honiara.
Scans showed the sword fish spike was lodged in his brain. Unable to perform the demanding operation required, the local surgeon called ROMAC.
Today, Maradona is up and playing after a very complex 8 hour operation on Wednesday.
Here he is with mum Ella. She has very little English, so we communicate as best we can. He loves apples, chips and juice. The surgeons have saved his eye, and likely his life, as the spear of the swordfish was very close to a vein which was likely to rupture as Maradona grew up.
We are hoping for a speed recovery and a safe journey home once cleared by the eye doctor.
Mariam Fergusson
ROMAC