Update on Ungat

Last month, I told you about Ungat, an Egyptian boy who was told by his doctor that he was going blind. You can read the original post here. Well, now it's time for an update.

Many people have been praying for Ungat, and several people have offered or given tangible assistance. Ungat and his family are grateful. They are even more grateful right now to God, who has answered those prayers and magnified the effect of the assistance they've received. You see, there was a possibility that Ungat could be sent to the United States for medical treatment, but the decision was made to seek a second opinion here before that step was taken. Part of the concern was that, in addition to financial issues, there may have been difficulty with visas and other requirements for international travel, so it was likely that any treatment would have to occur here. So Ungat visited a second Egyptian doctor earlier this week, and this doctor gave Ungat a drastically different prognosis. Ungat may not go blind after all.

I'm not a medical expert, and my information is coming second- or third-hand, so bear with me. But this is what I've been told about the latest doctor's visit: Ungat has multiple congenital eye defects. His vision is very poor. His current glasses are adequate, but ideally he would have glasses with transition lenses--that get darker in the sun--in order to protect his eyes as much as possible. (I have not been told that someone is providing these glasses for Ungat, but I'll check on that. I'll be surprised if there aren't already plans to order them.) He needs special treatment at school, including the opportunity to sit at the front of his class. He could use a magnifying glass to help him read his schoolbooks. (One of those is on the way already.) For now, that's enough. There's no need to pull him out of his current school and send him somewhere to learn Braille, as the first doctor recommended.

The pressure in Ungat's eyes needs to be checked regularly. If it gets worse, he'll need special eyedrops to relieve the pressure. For now, treatment isn't necessary. One of the local expats who has been most involved with this family will be in Egypt for the next three years. She's going to continue to be involved with the family at least until that time, and I know that she'll do what she can to make sure Ungat receives all the care he needs.

Ungat is in the best of hands. Not only is he under the care of his loving parents, caring expats, and a medical professional, but he is in God's hands. God already has transformed this situation, and we trust and pray that He will continue to work in Ungat's life.

Blind

There is a woman--a British woman--who lives here in Maadi. She moved with her mother to Egypt many decades ago, as a child. She continues to live here, although her mother died a long time ago, because Egypt feels more like home to her than Britain does. Her name is Mary, although she more commonly is known as Blind Mary.

But this post is not about Blind Mary.

Blind Mary has a maid, Miriam. She cleans Mary's home and helps control Mary's diet. (Mary is a diabetic who does not always regulate her own sugar intake like she should.) Miriam provides companionship to Mary and sometimes brings her family to visit the lonely woman. Miriam and her husband both have eye problems of their own, although they are not blind.

But this post is not about Miriam.

Miriam has a son, Ungat. He is 13 years old. Ungat, like his parents, has an eye problem. Ungat, like his parents, is not blind. But Ungat, unlike his parents, will become blind.

This post is about Ungat.

I met Ungat one time, just before Christmas. One of the ladies in my life group visits Blind Mary, and she suggested that we go to Mary's home and sing Christmas carols with her. Our life group was joined by another life group--or maybe we joined them--who also has a member who visits Blind Mary. We agreed to visit Blind Mary as a group, sing carols, and share sugar-reduced goodies for the diabetic woman with a sweet tooth. One man brought his keyboard to accompany us, and the ladies who visit Mary brought her small Christmas gifts. Miriam and her family were invited to join the celebration.

Ungat was a happy boy. He was polite, though reserved, with our group of strange people. After some encouragement, he agreed to join his sister in singing "Jingle Bells" in Arabic. He laughed with his sister and his other younger siblings. He was caught at the last minute and barely prevented from drinking from a small cup of wine that he had poured for himself from the bottle that had been brought for the adults. He laughed good-naturedly and willingly relinquished the cup. He had a mischievous sparkle in his eye most of the evening.

It wasn't very long after Christmas when the doctor gave his family the bad news. Ungat has a congenital eye defect. There is nothing that can be done. He will go blind. The expat woman who took Ungat to the doctor now regrets trying to help; maybe it would have been better for him not to know, since nothing can be done.

Can you imagine the pain of this boy and his family? I can't. I've never received news so life-altering, so catastrophic. This boy is on the verge of manhood. He was completing his education in preparation to find work, find a wife, support his family. Now he will not be able to work, probably will not be able to marry, and will have to rely on his impoverished parents for lifelong support. He doesn't read Braille, and I don't think he has any opportunity to learn.

Some of the expat women who visit Blind Mary want to help. It is possible, though doubtful, that a doctor outside of Egypt could help Ungat. Many times Egyptian doctors say "nothing can be done," when they really mean "with the amount of money you have, and the methods and equipment available to us in Egypt, nothing can be done." But if Ungat's problem is congenital, a local expat nurse says that even the best doctors with the newest equipment and latest methods probably would be unable to help him.

So now the group is trying to find a church that can help Ungat make the best of his situation. They want a church to "adopt" Ungat and provide for an appropriate education. He needs to learn Braille and to learn a trade that he'll be able to do even when his eyesight is completely gone. It will be expensive. He may have to leave Egypt to receive such an education. His family can't afford it. Blind Mary doesn't have much money, so she can't pay Miriam much. Ungat's father does the best he can, but like so many others, his family is poor. It's a desperate situation for Ungat and for his family.

I pray that God will reach down His hand and help them, either with a miraculous healing or with a God-sent source of funding for education.