Jovi Jacao after her surgery with Dr. Fairooz Manjandavida in Medcare Hospittal, Sharjah. SUPPLIED

A Filipina healthcare assistant in Sharjah, who lost an eye in a childhood accident, has regained confidence and a sense of normalcy after undergoing a groundbreaking surgery to fit a customized prosthetic eye. Jovi Jacao, 42, had been living with partial vision for 35 years after an accident at the age of seven left her without a left eyeball. “I believed there was no solution for me. I felt incomplete… different. I avoided looking in the mirror and struggled with my confidence,” Jacao recalled. Her journey to transformation began at Medcare Hospital in Sharjah, where Dr. Fairooz Manjandavida, an oculoplastic surgeon, performed a complex socket reconstruction surgery using a Dermis Fat Graft. The procedure restored lost volume in her eye socket, making way for a customized prosthesis. “Jovi had lived with this trauma for so long that she was convinced nothing could be done. Her biggest concern was her appearance, but the real challenge was that her eye socket had atrophied over time, making prosthetic fitting difficult,” Dr. Fairooz explained. The delicate surgery lasted three hours, followed by a ten-week healing process before the artificial eye was fitted. Additional medical support ensured a smooth recovery, including infection management and rehabilitation assistance. “For years, I felt like people only saw what I had lost. Now, I feel like myself again. This surgery has changed my life in ways I never imagined. I can smile happily and socialise,” Jacao said, expressing her gratitude to the medical team. Dr. Fairooz emphasized that beyond aesthetics, the procedure aimed to restore Jacao’s emotional well-being. “For many patients like Jovi, losing an eye is more than a physical trauma—it’s an emotional one. Being able to restore their confidence and sense of self is just as important as the medical procedure itself.” Jacao, who has lived in the UAE for 17 years, now embraces her fresh start, free from the insecurity she carried for decades. ICA/Expat Media
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