EyeSite cataract surgery saved the vision of a 9-year-old boy

Prince Taberna with his mom Daisy May Taberna at EyeSite Mandaluyong

A boy from Pangasinan is on his way to regaining his clear eyesight after suffering from blurry vision for the past five years, thanks to the GMA Kapuso Foundation and EyeSite Mandaluyong.

“Sa wakas, matatapos na rin ang paghihirap niya sa mga mata niya,” said Daisy May Taberna, mother of 9-year-old Prince who recently underwent cataract surgery at EyeSite Mandaluyong, a full-service eye clinic. “Makakakita na uli siya nang mabuti. Makakapag-aral na siya nang mas maigi.” 

Since he was four years old, Prince has been tripping over things and insisting on playing with his phone in the dark, even during the day, according to Mrs. Taberna. He was then taken to their neighborhood eye doctor, who diagnosed him with cataracts in both eyes. 

She stated that she was advised to have the procedure done in a more modern facility than the hospitals in Pangasinan. Mrs. Taberna was able to connect with EyeSite Mandaluyong and schedule an appointment to have Prince's cataracts removed thanks to the GMA Kapuso Foundation.  

"Nung pinasok siya sa operating room, ayaw niya magpaiwan. Nagwawala. Kaya hinintay ko siya makatulog," Mrs. Taberna said as she recalled the day of the surgery. Prince, who started getting blurry vision at age four, thought his eyeballs would be plucked out.

"Pag-gising niya nag-wi-wild kasi gusto kamutin mata niya," she added. "Talagang makulit si Prince."

Prince is now recovering and will visit EyeSite in December for his eyeglasses prescription. 

According to Dr. Michelle Lingao, the ophthalmic surgeon at EyeSite Mandaluyong who performed the procedure, Prince is doing exceptionally well post-surgery because, oftentimes, when a person develops cataracts at a young age and has them removed only at a later age, the vision is no longer as clear.  

Dr. Lingao advises parents to have their child undergo vision screening as early as 2 years old or when they reach school age to avoid delayed treatment. Screening should begin as early as infancy for those with a family history of childhood cataracts. 

"I have seen a lot of kids who, at first, were thought to be experiencing developmental delays, or were just lazy or struggling academically. Only to find out that they have poor vision," she said. 

"If a child tends to go near the TV or reads books too close to their face, frequently tumbles, or if their head is turned to the side when looking at something, the parent should immediately bring the child to an eye doctor."

EyeSite Mandaluyong has firmly established itself as a one-stop eye care center for all eye care needs, with its state-of-the-art operating facility catering to both children and adults in need of sight-saving procedures such as cataract and glaucoma surgery. EyeSite Mandaluyong provides a comprehensive eye examination using cutting-edge technology to effectively diagnose a child. This enables EyeSite Mandaluyong to treat a wide range of conditions, from those affecting the outer layer of the eye, such as style and ptosis, to those affecting the inner layer, such as retina and nerve problems.   

EyeSite Mandaluyong is a joint venture between the Asian Eye Institute and RelianceUnited, a company under United Laboratories (Unilab) that aligns with Unilab's mission to provide “Trusted Quality Healthcare.” The clinic directly addresses the changing healthcare needs of Filipinos in the new normal and its services include general ophthalmology, pediatric ophthalmology, and optical retail.

For consultations and other services, the clinic can be contacted via the mobile number (0966) 9501-464 or visited at Level C, Williams Center, Williams St., corner Mayflower St., Greenfield District, Mandaluyong City. 

For more information about EyeSite Mandaluyong’s #SerbisyongSulitAlagangMaaasahan, please visit eyesitemandaluyong.com.