帮助娜塔莉看清
Pediatric vision care team treats youngster’s cataracts, glaucoma
查尔斯·麦克切斯尼著
娜塔莉·鲍姆加特纳的母亲, 瑞安伯爵, remembers the day her daughter smiled at a brightly colored book. “我记得我当时欣喜若狂.” Until that moment, it wasn’t clear that her daughter would ever be able to see.
Preethi Ganapathy，医学博士Natalie was born with cataracts covering extremely small eyes. Additionally, she had a cleft palate, affecting the top of her mouth. “她的眼睛很模糊，”厄尔说. 在她生命的第二天早上, 她出生的医院的医生给她做了检查, and they could not see any reflection from the back of her eyes.
这种情况需要近乎立即的干预, 所以, 出生后几天, 娜塔莉会见了上州的斯蒂芬·梅里亚姆, MD, who would operate on her eyes when she was 6 weeks old and who, 六年后, 继续照顾她的视力.
梅里亚姆对娜塔莉的家人来说是个熟悉的名字. When Earl was born, she had cataracts in both eyes, and one of her eyes was small. She was cared for and operated on by 沃尔特·梅里亚姆博士, the father of Stephen Merriam. 两人都是 北州视力护理中心.
在她一岁生日之前, 娜塔莉的腭裂是谢拉德·塔图姆做的手术, MD, 在上州唇裂和颅面中心, 就在北州视力护理中心的大厅里.
罗伯特·费奇特纳博士娜塔莉还患上了青光眼, an excess of pressure within the eye that permanently damages the optic nerve, 斯蒂芬·梅里亚姆也经常去看, 以及上邦眼科医生Preethi Ganapathy，医学博士, 罗伯特·费奇特纳, MD, 眼科学和视觉科学主席.
“It’s wonderful that Natalie had such skillful and consistent pediatric care from the beginning. 儿童白内障和青光眼, time is one of the most important factors that determines how these eyes will do,加纳帕蒂说. “我们越早发现青光眼, 我们越早治疗它, which translates into better chances for the child to keep meaningful long-term vision.”
视力护理中心 at 推荐最近最火的赌博软件 has assembled a team of ophthalmologists to care for the most complex pediatric eye problems. The center’s specialists work as a team to bring state-of-the-art medical and surgical solutions that previously were only available in major cities. “娜塔莉, 儿童白内障专家, glaucoma and cleft palate have given her the opportunity to overcome these challenges and have a rich and full childhood,费奇纳说.
Stephen Merriam，医学博士For months after her birth, it was unclear whether Natalie could or ever would see. “She kept her eyes closed a lot,” Earl recalled, and she did not react to her parents’ smiling faces. 在一次访问中, 厄尔记得娜塔莉的父亲, 帕特里克·费利克斯, 问斯蒂芬·梅里亚姆, “告诉我她会看到的——她会看到的.”
斯蒂芬·梅里亚姆无法做出任何承诺. Her eyes were so small, maybe 40 percent smaller than one might expect. 还不确定. “We were trying to prepare ourselves for essentially a blind child,厄尔说。.
娜塔莉早年的许多日子对她母亲来说都是一团迷雾. 不过，“一切都发生得太快了.” Something that stuck with her was the struggle to care for Natalie’s eyes. She and Patrick had to work as a team to put contacts in Natalie’s eyes. 这项任务必须每八天执行一次, because the gas-permeable lenses had to be switched out regularly. Natalie reacted as any infant might, loudly and strenuously. One parent would have to hold Natalie tightly while the other changed out the contacts. “We were overwhelmed,” she said of herself and Patrick, “we’d hug each other.”
沃尔特·梅里亚姆博士然后, 大概在她5个月大的时候, Natalie made what appeared to be eye contact with her mother. Later came the reaction when the colorful book was put in front of her.
“She’s the sweetest kid,” Stephen Merriam said of Natalie. “她做得很好.” He explained that Natalie is considered “low vision” and registered as legally blind. Her continuing eye-pressure issues have required multiple operations, 他说娜塔莉将成为“终身眼科患者”.” She also has annual visits to the 推荐最近最火的赌博软件 Cleft and Cranial Center.
Natalie’s vision suffered a setback in April when the retina in her right eye became detached due to glaucoma. 移植视网膜的手术没有成功. “最终, 娜塔莉现在只能用左眼看东西了, 这看起来很健康, 她还在由同样的医生监护,厄尔说。. “She continues to adapt and thrive, and always amazes us despite any challenges she faces!”
Natalie is now a pupil at Beaver River Central School in Castorland, 距离锡拉丘兹东北方向大约一个半小时车程. “她很聪明，”她妈妈说. She recalled Natalie talking at 10 months and walking at 15 or 16 months.
谢拉德·塔图姆，医学博士With the help of glasses — which she started wearing at 8 months, sparing her parents from having to keep changing out contacts — Natalie can see well enough to watch movies, 尽管她必须离电视很近, 喜欢YouTube视频, 比如“瑞恩的世界”.” Three years ago, she welcomed a little brother, Damon Baumgartner, to the family.
“她喜欢接受挑战，”她妈妈说. 她走路很小心. Her limited vision makes it difficult for her to perceive changes in heights but enjoys riding her tricycle and climbing the monkey bars at school. “她很时髦，”她母亲笑着说. “她已经走了这么远.”
“Patrick and I are grateful to all of Natalie’s doctors and all they have done for her over the years,厄尔说。. “All of Natalie’s continued successes are a direct result from the care they have provided her, and
我们感激不尽!”
娜塔莉的母亲在手术后喂养她. (提供照片)“视力护理中心 at 推荐最近最火的赌博软件 is here to serve our community. 除了我们的全职教师, we are fortunate to have top ophthalmologists from our community volunteer their time to provide expert care for nearly every eye problem in children and adults,费奇纳说. “除了临床专业知识, we have an internationally recognized group of scientists at the 视觉研究中心 研究视觉和眼睛的基本机制. Their leading-edge research is producing discoveries that may, 总有一天, 预防失明，恢复视力.”
视力护理中心, 庆祝其服务25周年, 提供多种眼科护理服务, from comprehensive eye exams to complex ophthalmic microsurgery.
This article appears in the spring 2023 issue of 推荐最近最火的赌博软件 Health magazine.
