Francesca Gelai( 2009) Merrin James FOGA Fellowship recipient
Monday, 30 October 2023

Francesca is the Co-founder and Ocularist at Eyes for All, a team based in Kenya dedicated to restoring confidence in those who have lost an eye due to disease or trauma.  She wants to introduce a groundbreaking solution to the Kenyan prosthetic eye market that addresses critical issues faced by patients and healthcare providers. Her primary goal is to develop a semi-custom prosthetic eye/conformer hybrid that not only rectifies the existing challenges but also contributes to a substantial enhancement in patients' quality of life. 
The clinical implications of the project are significant, as the lack of availability of affordable prosthetic rehabilitation options in low-resource settings leads to poor socket health and suboptimal outcomes. By developing a semi-custom prosthetic eye/conformer hybrid, she will address this issue and provide a solution that is affordable, looks better, and is healthier for the socket. Additionally, the project has educational implications, as it will involve collaboration with Kenyatta Hospital, Kenya's largest public hospital, to conduct a trial of the hybrid with patients and complete a survey to assess their satisfaction with the hybrid and its impact.