AN African student is free of pain for the first time in 15 years thanks to the skill of a Preston surgeon and the kindness of a missionary.

Solomon Wakumire, 20, was blinded in one eye in an accident in his home town in Uganda when he was five.

But the lack of medical facilities meant surgeons were unable to operate.

The pain gradually became unbearable. Solomon feared he would have to give up his college place where he is studying to become a social worker.

But when local missionary Elizabeth Swarbrick - who was staying with friends of Solomon - heard of his plight, she came back home to Preston with one aim - to help him on the road to recovery.

Elizabeth and her friend Greta Williamson held coffee mornings and car boot sales to raise money to fly the African student to England and pay for part of his treatment.

Now thanks to Preston ophthalmic surgeon Mark Talbot, who performed the delicate operation free of charge, Solomon has had his useless eye removed and replaced by a hi-tec false one

And he's absolutely delighted with it. The operation has been such a success he's back reading his books and flys back to Uganda next week to catch up with his studies.

Solomon told the Citizen: "This is the first time in 15 years I've been free of pain. I'm delighted with my new eye."

Surgeon Mark Talbot carried out the delicate operation at Fulwood Hall Hospital by taking out Solomon's damaged eye, attaching a coral implant to the eye muscles, enabling the false eye to move as normal. Solomon is now working as a volunteer at St Catherine's Hospice with Elizabeth, who is matron there.

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