Ghanaian actress Mavis Yeboah, famously known as Maame Gyanwaa from the popular show "Cow and Chicken," has shared her four-year struggle with a severe eye condition.
The condition has caused her to lose vision in one eye, and she fears she may go completely blind, leading to thoughts of self-harm.
In an interview with popular blogger ZionFelix, Maame Gyanwaa narrated her first experience with the ailment, including how she was initially misdiagnosed with malaria and then glaucoma.
After intermittent blackouts, another clinic described her condition as a blood clot behind her eye, which doctors have declared incurable.
“So far, I have spent over 11,000 cedis on treating the ailment. And it's still not enough. I have lost all sight in my left eye while the other eye has blurry vision.
“I still experience intermittent blackouts in the eye. Right now, I have nothing; all my finances are depleted. I am depending on handouts from friends and family to aid in my hospital bills,” she said.
Her vision in the left eye is completely gone, while the right eye has only blurry vision.
Due to the high costs of treatment, she travels monthly from Accra to Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi for more affordable treatment, incurring transportation costs of up to GH₵400 each trip.
She shared that despite some offers from abroad to help her seek treatment, doctors have determined that surgery is not an option after reviewing her scans.
Tragically, the actress lost her son in 2021 to cancer, which led to his leg being amputated.
She managed to support his treatment through a donation from the president, but now, with her own health crisis, she finds herself financially depleted and dependent on friends and family for aid.
Maame Gyanwaa said she makes ends meet through bead-making, a craft that still requires her vision.
However, without movie roles and her finances exhausted, she is losing hope.
“I have not been called for any movie shoot gigs. No one has called me; I have been surviving on my own since. I am pleading with people to help me with anything little to help me. I am quickly losing hope.
“Even looking at the economy and the dollar-to-cedi rates, I’m afraid it will get to a point where I can’t afford treatment,” she said.
In a teary plea, the actress appealed to her fans and colleagues for support.
She revealed that she has contemplated suicide by poisoning if she becomes completely blind.
“Right now, if it gets to a point where I lose the other eye, I will go and search for those poisons used to kill pests and drink. Because I can’t live without my eyes,” she said.
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