I shouldn't be alive: My battle with a near loss of eyesight

 Anderson Gitonga is the chief executive at United Disability Persons of Kenya

Anderson Gitonga, 44, has low vision due to a condition known as keratoconus and has undergone a cornea graft.

My struggle with low vision began as a young boy but it was diagnosed a decade after I started having sight problems. I struggled in a regular school because the blackboard was blurry and copying classwork into my school books was humiliating. My academic performance was affected and recognising people and objects became a challenge.

Most of my friends and family described me as a 'nose-reader' because I had to bring exercise books close to my eyes to read. But this method of reading was frustrating. My parents sought medical advice and I was diagnosed with a disease that had already severely damaged my cornea called keratoconous and was advised to enroll in a special school.

The disease causes visual distortions due to a curved cornea that deflects light as it enters the eye thus affecting the quality of images.

I was enrolled at St Lucy's School for the Blind at ten years old and later Thika School for the Blind for secondary school, and then Kenyatta University for my both my undergraduate and graduate studies.

After the diagnosis, I was given and a new pair of glasses with very high 'power' of about 16 and 17 in each eye. My vision improved and so did my academic performance. However over the years, my vision became poorer necessitating the need for a cornea graft in my left eye in 1996 and another in the right one in 2012.

I have also undergone a lens implant where an artificial lens customized to my eye was fitted and I am now able to run my affairs as the chief executive at the United Disability Persons of Kenya very well. I am also a husband and father to three wonderful girls.

Keratoconous is a progressive disease that needs frequent medical check-ups and an honest discussion with your eye specialist on the strength of your vision. I have adopted some personal habits to conserve what remains of my vision such as keeping away from direct sunlight and minimising my time in front of either a computer or the television. Over the years, I have also modified my diet to include foods rich in Vitamin A and protein.

I look forward to a time when Kenyans begin to list themselves as cornea donors in the event of their death in order to help persons with vision problems.