In September 2002, a mom expecting her first bundle of joy delivered her baby at 24 weeks of
pregnancy at 880grams. The medical team prepared the parents for the worst as the baby was
premature and the chances of survival were extremely slim.

The medical process started with the baby on 100% life support in Neo-Natal ICU for a period of 92
days. It was touch and go as there were many set backs with the baby’s lungs not fully developed.

In December 2002, after 92 days in NICU the baby was discharged at 1.6kgs. It was in January 2003
when the mom noticed that she could see that the baby’s right eye was starting to look different.
After consulting with the paediatrician the parents were advised that all was good and there was
nothing to be concerned about.

A month later when the eye started to change to a greyish colour another appointment was set with
the paediatrician who then referred the parents to an Opthamologist. It was at that appointment
that the baby was diagnosed as having “RETINOPATHY OF PREMATURITY” in both eyes and that he
had lost his vision.

The parents then learnt that this was a common condition with babies born premature due to the oxygen administered whilst in NICU however with the proper intervention this can be prevented. Unfortunately the medical team did not manage this effectively which resulted in the baby becoming visually impaired.

The challenges experienced over the last 20 years with raising a visually impaired child has been tough due to lack of resources and educational facilities available.

In March 2022, whilst watching the Shark Tank India on television, Torchit India represented
themselves and promoted the SAARTHI device that adds huge value to the life of a visually impaired
person. From initial discussion to acquire a SAARTHI device for my son, I started to engage with the organization to become an Exclusive Distributor of their products in Africa. Fast forward 6 months, in August 2022 Torch It SA was born with the vision to empower the lives of People With Disabilities in South Africa & Africa.