In an extraordinary twist of fate, Khadijah Chaudhry, a three-year-old diagnosed with Leber congenital amaurosis-4, has beaten the odds and regained her vision, all thanks to a revolutionary gene therapy procedure.
Born with a condition threatening to steal her vision by age four, Khadijah faced an uncertain future until she became one of the first kids worldwide to undergo groundbreaking keyhole eye surgery at Evelina London Children’s Hospital.
Leber congenital amaurosis-4, affecting around one in 40,000 newborns, severely restricts vision, often leaving individuals able to discern only light and dark. For Khadijah, this diagnosis meant a potential life in darkness before her fourth birthday. But the innovative gene therapy brought a glimmer of hope.
During the procedure, Khadijah received injections of healthy gene copies, aiming to halt or even reverse her blindness. Led by renowned surgeon Neruban Kumaran, the medical team at Evelina London Children’s Hospital embarked on this revolutionary journey to restore Khadijah’s sight.
Although the technique is still in its experimental stages and not yet licensed for widespread use, the initial results have been nothing short of miraculous. Khadijah’s parents have already observed improvements in her vision, signaling a promising outcome for the young girl’s future.
“We’re really pleased with how Khadijah’s surgeries went,” lead surgeon Neruban Kumaran told The Mirror. “Her mother and father have already noticed an improvement in her vision, which is very promising.”
