The goal keeper of Special Olympics Kenya’s Floor Hockey team has kept them on top of their division. But no one knew 16-year-old Lawrence Mwangi, tiny in stature but big in heart, has been achieving on the sports field despite having cataracts.
Growing Into A Champion
He was diagnosed in a Special Olympics Lions Club International Opening Eyes screening at the 2017 World Winter Games in Austria by Adib Jaber, the regional clinical advisor for Special Olympics Middle-East North Africa (MENA) region. Adib has been volunteering with Special Olympics Lebanon for over 14 years.
Lawrence only grew into the champion he is now since joining Special Olympics Kenya. When his mother discovered he had an intellectual disability, she was devastated and could not stop blaming herself. This affected Lawrence, and he did not know if he was good at anything. But through sports he discovered he had athletic talent, focus, and was a team player with a specialty in goal-keeping.
His Surgery is Offered for Free
The great news is that Lawrence can receive free surgery for his condition at the Lions SightFirst Eye Hospital in his nation’s capital, Nairobi. This specialist institution provides high quality clinical services, including education, rehabilitation and rural community outreach and is recognized as the leading and biggest eye hospital in the East Africa region. Special Olympics Kenya and Lions Club International have a strong national partnership.
Providing High Quality Eye Care
Since 2001, Special Olympics and Lions Clubs International have been providing high quality eye care for people with intellectual disabilities worldwide. The partnership has since expanded under the banner of ‘Mission Inclusion’, offering inclusive development through service to the global population of people with intellectual disabilities. Though ‘Mission Inclusion’, Lions Club International is becoming the most inclusive service club organization in the world, making eye care available to athletes like Lawrence in Africa and all over the world.