A sight to behold: Three-year-old girl born without an eye is the first in the UK to have one created from her own STOMACH FAT
- Myah Hauxwell was born with microphthalmia, which left her blind in one eye
- Doctors fitted her with a prosthetic when the youngster was just one-year-old
- The weight of this caused her face to droop, which could become permanent
- Medics fitted her with a lightweight prosthetic made from 1mm stomach fat
- Myah will require a new eye at least every two years due to her growing fast
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A toddler is the first person in the UK to have a new eye created from her own stomach fat.
Three-year-old Myah Hauxwell, from Mansfield, Nottingham, was born with microphthalmia, or small eye syndrome, which has left her blind in one eye.
Doctors fitted her with a prosthetic when the youngster was just one-year-old, however, the weight of it caused one side of her face to collapse.
Worried the drooping may become permanent and cause Myah daily pain, medics fitted her with a second prosthetic made out of lightweight 1mm-thick stomach fat on June 27.
Although the four-hour operation to fit the prosthetic was a success, Myah, who will always be partially blind, will require a new eye at least every two years as she continues to grow.
Her mother Lauren, 31, is speaking out to fundraise for future treatments that will ensure Myah receives the best care.
Myah Hauxwell is the first person in the UK to have an eye created from her own stomach fat
Myah Hauxwell was born with small eye syndrome, which left her blind in one eye
Her mother Lauren said the prosthetics are so realistic it is hard to tell they are not real eyes
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WHAT IS MICROPHTHALMIA?
Microphthalmia is an eye abnormality that arises before birth and affects around one in 10,000 people.
It causes one or both eyeballs to be abnormally small.
They may be so tiny they appear to be missing.
Microphthalmia often occurs due to missing tissue that forms the eyes’ structures.
Sufferers usually have severe vision impairment.
Microphthalmia may be caused by genetic changes or environmental factors during early development, such as radiation or a lack of vitamins during pregnancy.
Surgery and visual aids are usually required.
Source: US National Library of Medicine
‘Myah had no other option’
Before Myah underwent the revolutionary surgery, the youngster had 10 operations at Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham, to try and treat her condition.
Lauren, a full-time mother, explained: ‘Myah had her first prosthetic eye, which is known as a shell, fitted when she was one-year-old.
‘But although this made her face look symmetrical, it was too heavy for her face and it started to collapse last year.
‘If we didn’t have this surgery Myah’s face would have drooped down on one side for the rest of her life and she would have been in daily pain.’
The heaviness of her last prosthetic caused Myah to suffer inflammation that led to multiple infections.
Lauren added: ‘Surgeons have only used stomach fat that’s 1mm thick so the new socket is really lightweight.
‘This type of operation is rare and normally used as a last resort but Myah had no other option.’
Fat was taken from Myah’s stomach over other parts of her body due to it not affecting her growth.
Lauren said it was obvious when Myah was born that something was seriously wrong
She was fitted with a prosthetic at one-year-old that caused her face to droop (pictured)
As a last resort, stomach fat was taken from Myah’s stomach to create a lightweight prosthetic
Even before the four-hour surgery, Myah still managed to raise a smile
‘My whole world collapsed’
Myah was diagnosed with microphthalmia at just three days old.
Lauren said: ‘As soon as I saw her for the first time I knew something was wrong.
‘Her one eye was sunken into her face and didn’t appear to be working properly.
‘My whole world collapsed, I felt heartbroken that she only had one eye, none of my scans during pregnancy showed that anything was wrong.
‘I still loved her unconditionally but I had no idea what the future held.
‘She needed several surgeries during her first few months but she shocked us all when she was given her first prosethetic at one years old, which was a year earlier than expected.
Lauren added: ‘Myah has never let having one eye hold her back and is always smiling and happy.
‘We’ve spent a lot of time in hospital and she has battled several infections but we’re hoping this surgery will allow her to lead a normal life.’
Despite the surgery being a success, Myah needs new prosthetic due to her growing fast
Lauren hopes a new prosthetic will be ready for her daughter by the time she starts school
Although she will always be partially blind, the light prosthetic should stop her face drooping
Lauren says she loves Myah unconditionally and the disorder will never hold her back
‘She will always be completely blind in one eye’
Speaking of how her daughter has coped with her condition, Lauren said: ‘Myah was even smiling before she went down to theatre.
‘She will always be completely blind in her one eye but we’re confident that once she has her new shell that her face won’t droop down.
‘Her eyes are brown and it’s hard to tell that the one isn’t working when she is wearing a prosthetic.
‘Myah is due to start school soon and hopefully by that point she will be ready for her new shell.’
Speaking of her fundraising efforts, Lauren added: ‘We will need new prosthetics every 18 months-to-two years as Myah continues to grow.
‘I know they’ll be treatments that aren’t available on the NHS that she’ll need. We’ve currently raised over £700 but we need around £5,500 to ensure she gets everything she needs.’
Donate here.
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