Anyone who’s had children has likely seen them suffer from eye infections now and then.
But when Michelle Saaiman took a closer look at her son’s eye, she made a horrifying discovery.
Thought it was a April Fool’s joke
A heart-wrenching story has emerged about a little boy who’s facing the terrifying reality of losing his eye after contracting herpes in his cornea from a kiss.
It’s every parent’s worst nightmare — watching their child suffer from something they never expected.
Michelle Saaiman, from Namibia, noticed something unusual in her 16-month-old son, Juwan’s eye last August, initially thinking it was just an eye infection. But when antibiotic drops didn’t work and the infection worsened, a specialist confirmed the unimaginable: Juwan had contracted herpes simplex virus (HSV), likely from someone with an active cold sore kissing him around his eye.
The diagnosis left Michelle and her husband in shock.
Michelle told Metro, “The doctor was telling me there’s a fever blister growing in my child’s cornea. I was literally looking at the doctor wondering whether it’s April 1, because I thought it was an April Fool’s joke.”
Why his eye ”melted away”
Sadly, the herpes caused so much damage to Juwan’s cornea that he became completely blind in that eye. Juwan’s eye began to “melt away” as the natural lubrication was lost, and a 4mm hole opened up. At one point, doctors feared he might lose his eye completely.
“By that time, the herpes just caused so much damage that he essentially lost all feeling in the eye, and he could not see anything,” Michelle shared. “It meant the brain did not recognize the eye anymore and stopped sending signals to the eye. The gel later protecting the eye evaporated, and the eye dried out.”
To give their son a fighting chance, Juwan’s parents flew him to Cape Town for specialized treatment.
The toddler underwent amnion graft surgery in hopes of saving his cornea. His eyelids were stitched together as a precaution, and the family is planning another major surgery in April to transfer nerves from his leg to his eye. If successful, this procedure will pave the way for a cornea transplant next year.
Despite all he’s been through, Michelle says Juwan has been incredibly brave. “Juwan is such a trooper, he’s really just always had a smile on his face. But he was in severe pain,” she said. “It is not fair for such a tiny human to go through all that.”
Uncertainty and challenges
At first, Michelle and her husband were understandably “really, really angry” at the person responsible for passing the herpes virus onto their son.
“Both my husband and myself, we were just angry with whoever was so selfish to kiss my child in his face with an active fever blister,” Michelle said. “Kisses come from a place of love. So whoever gave him this, I’m sure it wasn’t done intentionally or with any idea to do him harm.”
The family’s journey has been filled with uncertainty and challenges. Juwan’s parents had to navigate weeks of medical procedures, including contacting experts in New York for the right medication. They lived in constant fear that the herpes could spread to his brain or his other eye.
Although the virus has been somewhat contained, the damage to Juwan’s eye is irreversible, and his parents are still fighting to save his vision.
Raising awareness
Michelle is raising awareness about the serious risks of spreading the herpes virus and how something as seemingly harmless as a kiss can cause irreversible harm.
”A fever blister is supposed to be on your lips or in your mouth,” she said. ”I’ve never in my life heard of a fever blister growing on someone’s cornea.”
She wrote a lengthy post on Facebook about the incident, which has since gone viral. A fundraiser has also been set up to help with the astronomical costs of Juwan’s treatment, which include flights to South Africa and expensive medication.
If you feel compelled to help, Michelle says every contribution makes a difference. ”It’s been a long, hard road, and we’re doing everything we can to save our son’s eye.”
Awareness post. I've been contemplating whether to share our devastating experience over the past 7 months. I usually…
Posted by Michelle Saaiman on Monday, February 17, 2025
Many are likely aware that you should keep your distance from young children when you’re sick, something that became even more evident during the pandemic years.
However, it’s easy to forget, and sometimes people just want to show love to little ones or give them a light kiss. But in this case, things went horribly wrong, and it’s important to remind others of the risks.
This story serves as a powerful reminder to always be cautious about spreading viruses, especially around vulnerable children. We’re keeping our fingers crossed for brave and wonderful Juwan — he and his family need all the strength we can send their way!
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