Support for Sara from Angola to regain her sight

Little Sara fell face-first into an open fire in her village in Angola. With no help available anywhere, she suffered severe burns to her mouth, nose, and eyes. Her eyelids melted away, causing corneal opacity and blindness. Her open lips were so badly scarred that she constantly drooled. A desperate search was underway across Germany for a treatment facility, as only a clinic specializing in plastic and reconstructive surgery could truly help her.

When Sara arrived in Bad Kreuznach via interplast in March 2024, the blind girl, who only spoke Portuguese, was to undergo an ophthalmological examination, and her care situation on the children's ward was to be arranged to ensure optimal treatment. This process dragged on until August 2024, when finally an ophthalmology specialist was found at the University Hospital in Düsseldorf who was also committed to the humanitarian aspect of the aid. Professor Gerd Geerling and Dr. André Borsche of interplast Germany e.V. developed a treatment plan to potentially save Sara's sight. The first steps, however, were to reconstruct her eyelids and correct her mouth and nose. The plastic surgery team was able to achieve this through three complex operations at the Diakonie Hospital in Bad Kreuznach.

The skin grafts on her eyelids have now healed, so Sara can finally close her perpetually open eyes again. Her mouth is also free of scars, allowing her to eat, drink, and speak without hindrance.

Sara is staying at Friedensdorf International and is eagerly awaiting her eye surgery, her big chance. The eye specialists are now working hard to give her the opportunity to regain her sight through a corneal transplant in her right eye. Unfortunately, medical contraindications arose during the first attempt in November 2025, so the surgery had to be aborted. We – and especially Sara – are waiting for a second attempt soon, for which we have pledged our financial support.