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Mother of injured child says outlook positive after further surgeries

The eight-year-old boy who is undergoing medical treatment for his right eye, which was almost lost from an incident at school, is reportedly recovering from the two surgeries he has undergone while at Kapiolani Children’s Hospital in Honolulu.  The young man, Amaziah Coffin was accompanied by his father off-island.

 

 Last month, Amaziah’s mother, Pogai Filemu Fa’apouli-Coffin sought financial assistance for her son and their family, through a website—gofundme.com— as they faced travel and medical bills.

 

This week Mrs Coffin told Samoa News that their family's burden has been lifted, as they received word that all of her son’s medical expenses will be fully covered and paid for by the Hawaii State insurance program.

 

Amaziah was in school when the incident occurred, where another student tossed a pencil at him, hitting Amaziah's right eye. This caused a puncture in the outer lens of his eye, leaving a hole in his pupil and causing serious damage to the inside of the eye.

 

The same day of the incident Amaziah was admitted to LBJ, where he underwent his first surgery to close the hole in his outer lens. Amaziah’s first surgery was a success— attributed to local ophthalmologist, Dr. Ernest Oo, however, Dr. Oo informed the family that their son needed to be referred off-island to see a pediatric ophthalmologist.

 

As reported earlier, Mrs Coffin said the ophthalmologist in Hawai’i told her that Amaziah will undergo cataract surgery and if that doesn't work, they will need to insert or replace an artificial lens in his eye.  He will continue to outgrow the lens, and it will need to be replaced every 3-4 years, according to the doctors.

 

Mrs Coffin says she is thankful for all the support shown by her friends, family and for the Director of her son’s school, SPICC for their unwavering support. She said Reverend Tafale Tafale and his wife have shown great support and have assisted Amaziah and his father with their stay in Hawai’i. It's unclear when Amaziah will return home, but Mrs Coffin said everything looks positive for her son.