Adiba I., 1

Adiba Islam is a gentle one-month-old premature baby girl who has already endured 17 days of NICU care and a blood transfusion after birth. She lives with her parents, 8-year-old elder sister Morium Akter, and grandmother in a five-member family, while her father, Alamgir Mizi, is the sole earner, working as a construction laborer and earning approximately USD 73 per month. After exhausting their limited savings on Adiba’s neonatal treatment, the family cannot afford the specialized ROP treatment and follow-up eye examinations she now urgently needs. Adiba has Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) in both eyes), and without timely treatment, the abnormal blood vessels may progress to retinal detachment, irreversible vision loss, and permanent blindness. The family learned about Helpster Charity through Nasima Akhter, Pediatric Unit Counselor at Mazharul Haque BNSB Eye Hospital, Chandpur, and Md. Al Amin, a Helpster Charity volunteer, who informed them about the available treatment support.

Anti-VEGF (Avastin) injections in both eyes, followed by regular retinal examinations, are expected to control the abnormal blood vessel growth and support proper retinal development. With timely treatment and follow-up, Adiba has a good opportunity to preserve functional vision and achieve normal visual development. If treatment is delayed, ROP may progress to retinal damage and retinal detachment, resulting in irreversible vision loss and permanent blindness.