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| Atamin before surgery |
Mariama was a fifteen-year-old sophomore when her sister died giving birth to a baby daughter named Atamin. With her father’s support and the income from her part-time job as a hairdresser, Mariama left school to take care of Atamin, her sister and two brothers. There was no one else to help. This was a big responsibility for such a young girl, and the job was made even more difficult since Atamin was born with a crossed eye.
Little Atamin became the target of taunts from the neighborhood children.
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| Atamin after surgery |
“Cross eyes! Cross eyes!” they would call, which would bring on a torrent of tears. This wounding of her soul provoked the normally gentle child to misbehave. “She’s wild, causing problems with those other kids,” explained Mariama.
When Atamin was five years old, she was given some very exciting news – she was going to a big, white hospital ship called the Africa Mercy for surgery on her eye. She confidently believed that her eyes could be normal.
A Mercy Ships volunteer ophthalmologist performed the surgery. The next morning he removed the eye patch and handed Atamin a mirror. But the mirror reflected much more than just a properly focused eye – it displayed the joy blooming in a little girl’s glowing smile. The transformation in her personality was immediate and electric! Obviously in awe of the change, she relished the moment, savoring everyone’s exuberant response to the successful surgery.
This beautiful child who loves to dance, play games and sing at church can now thoroughly enjoy doing those things without the overshadowing fear of being shunned.
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| Atamin's mother glowing with a smile |
“I have a lot of thanks for you (Mercy Ships),” said Mariama. “When Baby was at home, people were laughing at her for crossed eyes. May the Lord bless you people. You have healed our daughter.”
Photos by Debra Bell / Story by Elaine B. Winn
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