Melvi is a Grade 10 student in the Jocotepec high school (prepa), who just joined Pathways, a grass roots student sponsorship program.
The 16-year-old has lupus and arthritis, and lost her sight at the age of 10 when an infection was not properly treated. At that time one eye was removed.
During the intervening six years, she has seen a number of eye doctors, hoping for a solution to her blindness. All the visits were in vain until she recently was examined by Ajijic ophthalmologist and retinal specialist, Dr. Rigoberto Rios.
Rios has been systematically providing free eye examinations and eyeglasses this year for the Pathways students who require eye care. When Melvi was taken to meet Rios recently, she was downcast. She had seen so many doctors in the past six years without receiving any hope of restoring her sight.
The girl, her school sponsor and others who attended the visit were delighted when Dr. Rios announced that believed he could perform surgery to help her recover sight in the existing eye. Furthermore, he offered to purchase and donate the prosthesis for the eye that was removed. This help is vital as her family is unable to pay for special medical care. Dr. Rios’ only concern is that the lupus must be under control before he can operate on her eye. It is hoped that surgery can take place within six months, once the Pathways program has found a lupus specialist to work with Melvi.
Next week, Melvi will receive a laptop computer that has been donated for her by Pathways sponsor eSun Energy. This company also sponsors a Pathways student at the Instituto Tecnologico Superior de Chapala.