The Tribune

By Felicity Ingraham

Two-month-old Anthonique Munroe is back home in Nassau after her visit to the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Florida where she underwent exploratory surgery to see what a cornea and retina specialist could do to help her to be able to see.

Unfortunately, that surgery revealed that the retina detachment and cornea issues in the right eye, and the underdeveloped left eye, were both worse that experts expected. She was given anaesthetics to put her to sleep in order to discover exactly what was going on in the back of her eyes. They gave her mother Abbie Munroe the devastating news that her baby’s condition was not reconcilable.

Her father Anton Munroe sat down in a Face to Face with Felicity interview and made a passionate appeal for the public to assist in having the surgeries done that were necessary to give his daughter a chance of sight. But once the first exploratory operation was complete, doctors said there was nothing they could do.

A Tribune reader became Anthonique’s guardian angel and offered to cover the costs at Bascom Palmer. It meant a lot to the Munroes, who were desperate to give their daughter any chance possible for her to be able to see. Bahamasair provided the airline tickets, and Abbie’s coworkers at the Attorney General’s office put together and came up with a donation for little Antonique. The Salvation Army also gave a donation, as well as friends and family.

“It’s such an unfortunate thing,” said Anton.

“It makes our work a lot more harder and expensive in terms of her upbringing - her training, development and care. That’s why we were hoping that doctors at Bascom Palmer would have been able to do something to ensure she has sight.”

The doctors have now advised the Munroes to take Antonique to see a cosmetic doctor to ensure that “her facial features would not change”.

“The back of her left eye was underdeveloped,” said Anton, “so that one may have to be replaced with a prosthetic eyeball and that will cost about $10,000.”

As she grows, the eyeball would have to be changed from time to time until Anthonique is about ten years-old. Her right eye opens well, but has cataract formation over the ball. Some work can be done to give her as normal looking an appearance as possible, Anton explained.

He was hoping that his daughter could have sight and live as normal a life as possible, but he is hopeful that his daughter will be exemplary in her efforts throughout her childhood, as so many children with disabilities are. He is inspired by the likes of Hellen Keller and feels confident that his daughter could make the best of her situation.

Anton is making an appeal to the government to regularise his employment status in light of the fact that he will have to incur so many additional expenses to give his daughter the best childhood he possibly could. For the past nearly seven years, Anton has been working as a teacher’s aide at the Erin H Gilmore School for the Blind and Visually Impaired through a work assistance program with the Department of Social Services. While he is happy for this opportunity, the pay is not in line with other teacher’s aides and he is not privy to the benefits that government employees have.

“I applied to the Ministry of Education three times through our former principal at Erin H Gilmore for a teacher’s aide position through their ministry,” he said.

“They have yet to respond. All I want for government to do is give me a recognisable job. I am not trying to beg. I am just trying to ensure that I provide the best possible sense of a normal life for my child and to be a better provider for my wife.”

His work assistance program status does not make him a pensionable or permanent government employee.

“I don’t think I could make a really better future for Anthonique with this status,” he said, concerned.

“If I could find a way to get the attention of the powers that be to secure me in my job environment, that would be a good assistance for me to take better care of my daughter. I am thankful that our family helps us also.”