Six-year-old Maradona from Solomon Islands suffered a serious penetrative eye injury when he was struck in his left orbital cavity by the bony, elongated mouth of a reef fish, jeopardising his vision.

When reports of Maradona’s plight reached ROMAC, Eastern Region Chair Anita Robinson lost no time in reaching out to neurosurgeon Dr Gemma Olsson, who specialises in trauma surgery, and the Westmead Children’s Hospital (WCH) in Sydney. The fact that both immediately pledged their support is a testament to the strong relationships of trust ROMAC has built within the medical community.

D9675 ROMAC Chair Jenny Pedley was on hand to meet Maradona and his mother Ella when they arrived in Sydney. The next day Maradona was admitted to WCH for tests and work-up for his surgery, which was performed on 17 September. He then spent time recovering in the care of his mother, the ROMAC team and hospital staff.

Maradona’s medical team was very satisfied with his surgical outcome. With medical clearance provided by eye surgeon Dr Krishna Tumuluri, Anita was able to see mother and son off on their two-leg homeward journey on 25 September, all happy in the knowledge that the six-year-old’s vision had been saved.

We are deeply grateful to the dedicated medical teams who provided Maradona’s expert care and to the Rotarians of our Eastern Region committee for their support of Ella and Maradona throughout their stay.