After 12 years of agony, Saudi woman regains sight

Cairo: A Saudi woman, who lost her sight 12 years ago, has recently returned to see after a surgery in her home country.

Nouf Al Rashidi could not hold back her tears as she recalled her loss of sight and subsequent suffering after getting infected with chemical granules.

She said that after the return of her sight, she fulfilled her dream of seeing three of her sons’ weddings in one day, and driving her car from the holy city of Medina in western Saudi Arabia to the capital Riyadh with her daughters.

In an interview with the Saudi television Al Ekhbariya, Nouf disclosed that she had vowed to drive her car to Riyadh herself, and her dream of a going on a pleasant and safe journey came true.

" I vowed that if I regained my sight, I would go to Mecca and perform Umrah," she said, referring to the Islamic minor pilgrimage in the Grand Mosque, Islam's holiest place. "Praise be to Allah, I performed Umrah," she added.

"Afterwards, I vowed to go from Medina to Riyadh in my car. My wish was fulfilled too. My daughters were with me and we had a good time."

She also expressed her wish to hold a ceremony to honour the staff of the hospital where she underwent the successful operation in appreciation of their efforts.

Dr. Sami bin Hamid, a cornea consultant, warned of the hazards posed by some household chemicals to eyesight. He noted that household detergents and car batteries are among the major causes that may lead to loss of the sight, calling for caution and following safety procedures when dealing with these substances.