The injured eyes of the Norwegian national team defender Omar Elabdellaoui were operated on 11 times. The defense club paid for the treatments and the rehabilitation period.
The Turkish Super League saw happy expressions on Monday as Galatasaray applied for a away win over Göztepe on the 3rd to 2th. Galatasarayn Omar Elabdellaoui returned to the fields after an accident that resulted in eye damage at the end of 2020.
– I’m on the football field again and I do what I love the most. It feels like I’ve started football for the second time, Elabdellaoui is in the mood for beIN Sports after the game.
Elabdellaoui plays with specially made goggles. Elabdellaoui, who took care of his fitness during his break, cleared Galatasaray’s medical examination and returned to the team’s strength in January. Authorized physician Yener Ince described the event as emotional.
Sight and career as a football player were at stake
Defender Elabdellaoui, who plays for Galatasaray and the Norwegian national team, got into a tight spot on New Year’s Eve 2020 when fireworks exploded in his hands. The defender suffered burns to his face and both of his eyes were damaged.
– Everything was dark. I didn’t know if it was night or day. My perception of time became blurred, Elabdellaoui described the moments after the accident to the Guardian.
It already looked like Elabdellaoui’s career as a professional footballer was over. Eye specialist Edward Holland estimates that there is only a 5-10% probability of maintaining vision after the accident.
Elabdellaoui’s left eye was not as badly damaged as his right. Soon after the accident, he began to perceive shapes and colors. Elabdellaoui says she was afraid to go to sleep because she didn’t know if she would see the light again when she opened her eyes again.
Elabdellaoui’s close circle became acquainted with possible treatment obligations. The player left for Cincinnati, USA, in February 2021, where he was admitted to the Cincinnati Eye Institute for treatment by Dr. Holland. In Cincinnati, Elabdellaoui also trained with the physics coach for the Cincinnati Bengals NFL.
– Training was everything to me. It allowed me to escape. I still felt in my strength and survived.
The surgeries included stem cell transplantation from a sister
Elabdellaoui’s eyes were operated a total of 11 times. In one operation, a stem cell transplant from a player’s sister was used. The player’s Galatasaray didn’t give up hope, but paid for Elabdellaoui’s care and rehabilitation. Elabdellaoui returned home after a corneal transplant in September.
– I don’t know how to describe it. I took the eyepiece off and was able to see the movement to my right, which I hadn’t been able to before. It was a miracle, a happy player repeated events to the Guardian.
Elabdellaoui, 30, has played in the Manchester England junior teams and Hull City, as well as the Olympic Games in Greece, among others.
Galatasaray is currently ranked 13th in the Turkish Super League.