A South African singer’s son has lost 90% of his vision in one eye after an “innocent laser” light was directed at the cornea, damaging the muscle.
The shocking revelations were made by Bobby van Jaarsveld last week as he battles to come to terms with his son’s vision now being affected, leaving him also blind in one eye.
‘Innocent laser’
Van Jaarsveld said an “innocent” laser was shone into his son’s, eyes, leading to a serious injury.
“I didn’t think I was going to share this, but I feel I have to warn people,” Van Jaarsveld wrote in Afrikaans on his Instagram social media page.
“We never want to experience this again. My son, Leben, lost 90% of his vision because of an ‘innocent’ laser that was shone into his eye.”
‘Traumatised’
Van Jaarsveld said they have been left traumatised by the incident.
“We prayed and begged and trusted a long time ago because we were told he was going to lose his eye, and I can’t describe the feeling that a parent experiences when they hear that…but after a few opinions, thank God we found the right doctor, and he was able to save his eye after a successful operation.
“The doctor himself said it was a miracle because few people’s eyes can be saved after something like that. So we praise God for that! Parents… break those lasers,” van Jaarsveld said.
A heartbreaking video of van Jaarsveld’s son shows him writhing in pain as his father consoles him.
NOW READ: Smartphone addiction is real and it’s impacting young people
Lasers
Lasers, which basically mean light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation, are dangerous, with warnings on the gadget that tell users not to shine the beam into people’s eyes.
According to the UN Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a beam shone directly into a person’s eye can instantly cause damage, especially if the laser is powerful.
“Moreover, eye injuries caused by laser light often do not cause immediate pain. Vision can deteriorate slowly and, therefore, may go unnoticed for days,” the FDA said.
Examples
Some examples of laser toys are:
- Lasers mounted on toy guns that can be used for “aiming “
- Spinning tops that project laser beams while they spin
- Hand-held lasers are used during play as “light sabers”
- Lasers intended for entertainment that create optical effects in an open room
- Laser cat toys
Not toys
Hand-held laser pointers, often used to help illustrate presentations, have increased in power over the years.
While adults may buy a laser pointer for use at work, kids often play with them for amusement.
Recommendations
The FDA issued the following recommendations on its website:
- Don’t aim lasers at vehicles/aircraft.
- Broken laser toys should be discarded immediately. Read the instructions for the correct way to do so.
- Don’t buy laser pointers for children.
- Do not buy/use lasers that emit over 5mW of power.
The FDA also advises contacting a healthcare professional immediately if you suspect that your child has suffered an eye injury due to a laser being pointed at them.
ALSO READ: Bobby van Jaarsveld and his wife announce divorce
About the Author
