Terrifying hyena attack leaves 10-year-old unable to see in one eye, Utah surgeon restores vision

DODOMA, Tanzania (ABC4) — A young girl survived a hyena attack but was left unable to see out of one eye. One doctor based in Utah helped restore her vision.

A pack of hyenas attacked a remote Tanzanian village in the middle of the night. One victim, just 10-year-old, was asleep in her bed and defenseless against the attack, according to a press release.

The girl was able to survive but was left “scarred” and unable to see out of her left eye. With few options for care, the girl’s family learned of a clinic eight hours away at Benjamin Mkapa Hospital in Dodoma. The family swiftly make the journey.

Doctors with the John A. Moran Eye Center were hosting the clinic, including Dr. H. Joon Kim, who quickly agreed to treat the girl.

“When I first met her, she was so shy, she didn’t say a word, and she didn’t smile,” Kim said.

Through several surgeries, Kim was able to restore some vision in the damaged eye by repairing her eyelid, marking the first oculoplastic surgeries (procedure correcting abnormalities that affect the eyelids, eyebrows, cheeks, orbital tissues, bones, and the tear drainage system) to take place in Dodoma.

Kim says the girl opened up and became excited about having her injuries repaired. “On surgery day, I could see her beautiful personality, and she was so happy.” Kim even played hide and seek with her patient.

According to the University of Utah, Tanzania has an average of less than one ophthalmologist per one million people. This has led Moran Eye Center’s outreach team to take a two-week trip to the African nation.

In total, the team performed 393 vision screenings and 150 vision-restoring eye surgeries. The trip, which was funded solely by “generous donors,” also trained local doctors.

Kim says she will continue to provide care to the girl that should fully reconstruct her eye socket and restore her vision.