Helping Emelia See Better

Emelia loves to sing karaoke and play dolls with her grandma. She has also been a patient at Children’s National since she was an infant. She was born with a congenital cataract, which means one of her eyes had a clouded lens. Her first eye repair, cataract surgery, was at 6 months. A recent third operation helped straighten her eye. "Everyone at Children’s National has been so nice and caring,” says Emelia’s mom, Helen. "They are helping her have better eyesight, which will be important for the rest of her life.” 

Emelia’s favorite stuffed animal, Patty Cake, also gets special care during checkups with William Madigan, MD, a pediatric ophthalmologist, and his team. She says the doctors and nurses talk to her, but they also aways ask about Patty Cake. She sometimes wears an eye patch, too. “They ask how she’s doing and how far she can see,” says Emelia. Sometimes, talking about how Patty Cake feels is easier than talking about herself. She also likes the lollipops and stickers she gets after her visits. Emelia will likely have a fourth eye surgery when she’s 9. 

Expert care at Children’s National is helping improve Emelia’s eyesight. “The people there are helping my eye get stronger. They check my eye pressure and test how far I can see. Thanks to them, I can see my dolls better. I can see my grandma. I can see what's around me better and feel more comfortable.”