Naomi’s Journey

  Naomi was in Year 3 when she first settled into school here in the UK. She adjusted quickly and began doing well in her class. When she came home she enjoyed doing her assignments and often started them on her own. Her classroom used tablets and computers, which helped her because she could zoom in and read comfortably. I also bought her a tablet at home and we learned together. We regularly visited the library to choose books she liked, and she developed a strong love for reading.She also joined different after-school clubs. She loved them. She enjoyed singing and took part in small performances. She tried acting and would come home excited to tell us what she practiced. She even started writing her own stories and adding drawings to them. Seeing her happy and expressive was something I had prayed for. In 2023 we attended her hospital appointment. After a full examination she was formally diagnosed with Coloboma and other visual conditions. The doctors explained her eyes do not...

After the struggle with Naomi’s shoulder at birth, life slowly settled. As new parents, we were learning step by step, enjoying every moment with our beautiful first child. We thought the hardest part was behind us. But as time passed, we began to notice something different about her eyes. At first, we told ourselves it was nothing serious, something that would improve as she grew. When Naomi turned one, during a hospital visit, the doctor examined her and said it was a “lazy eye” that would correct itself. We felt some relief then. The first optician we met even recommended glasses. We held on to that hope, believing that once she wore them, everything would be fine. But the glasses never worked. We tried again and again to book appointments at the general hospital. Long queues, lack of specialists, and the weight of life in Lagos as a young couple made it all so overwhelming. Still, we carried on, hoping for change. By the time Naomi turned two, our worries grew heavy. She still coul...

  After what happened at her school, we could no longer trust the system with her again. We searched for help but found none. There was no government support, no NGO, and no awareness around Coloboma. We were left alone with our situation. There was little medical guidance and no real understanding of her condition. We lived in isolation with the problem. In 2020, when COVID kept children at home, it unexpectedly helped Naomi. My work as an IT infrastructure allowed me worked remotely for almost a full year. For the first time I was with her every day. I saw how she learned, how she read, how long it took her eyes to focus, and how much patience she needed. It changed me as a father. We organised proper homeschooling for her. I hired a private teacher and added an online tutor. I also sat with her myself, reading slowly with her, explaining step by step, adjusting lighting and distance so she could see clearly. Gradually her confidence returned. She became calmer and no longer afra...

We did not give up. I believe Naomi has the strongest parents she could ever have. During this time it was only me and my wife carrying everything about her. I kept my circle small because there was little help and little support. My focus stayed on Naomi’s future. I believe there is a reason God gave her to me, and a reason I am still alive for her.  Naomi is a brilliant girl. Anyone who sits with her for a few minutes sees it. She understands quickly. She asks deep questions. She remembers things easily. Her eyes struggle, but her mind is sharp and alive. Our struggle didn’t start in school. It started during the pregnancy. My wife began spotting and we rushed to the hospital. The doctor gave her medication, but instead of helping, the bleeding became worse. Later we realized it was a drug that could even terminate the pregnancy. I was terrified. I quickly moved her to another hospital because we almost lost the baby. Then came delivery. After Naomi was born, nobody told us anyth...

Naomi’s journey in school broke something inside me as a father. When we put Naomi in that school, we explained everything to them. We told them her condition. Naomi has Coloboma, Strabismus and Nystagmus. Her sight is poor. She cannot see clearly from far. To read, she has to move closer to the board or bring books very close to her face. They said it was noted and promised they would support her. We trusted them. We believed our child was safe there. But they didn’t really understand what Coloboma meant. I showed them what I had read online and explained simple things they could do to help her in class. Most average schools in Nigeria don’t even have internet access. Only expensive schools have tablets and online learning. So there was no real effort to learn about her condition or adjust the classroom for her. But for two months, my daughter was hurting and we didn’t know. Her teacher was beating and scolding her because she could not read what was written on the board. Naomi i...

  In 2016 and 2017, I started searching for awareness and support within Nigeria. I called hospitals, sent emails, and searched social media for anything related to Coloboma. Every response I got was silence. No group. No foundation. No awareness campaign. It felt like the condition did not exist in our country. I remember walking into one of the major eye centres in Lagos, hoping to meet other parents like me. The doctors told me they had seen children with Coloboma before, but no one had ever formed a support group or association. There was no record, no follow-up, no awareness. It broke me. In the UK and US, families were coming together, learning from one another, and supporting their children. In Nigeria, parents were isolated, each carrying their burden in silence. That gap became my mission. I decided I would not let Naomi’s story end in silence. If awareness did not exist, we would start it. We continued visiting hospitals for second and third opinions. Most doctors said th...