An Artist’s Story

March 10, 2011

Just over five years ago, Danish artist and musician Aisha (Inger Birgitte) Holm was attacked in her apartment while working on a humanitarian mission in Jakarta, Indonesia. The incident left her blind in one eye and unable to read music or paint.

Following this unfortunate incident, Aisha was in and out of surgeries in Denmark until the health system put a halt to her treatments.

“It was a really scary time in my life. I had to move back to Denmark and have multiple surgeries on my eye. They helped a little, but I could barely see my artwork,” said Aisha. “I had so many surgeries that they decided they would no longer operate on my eye because of the costs. So I thought that was how I would live the rest of my life.”

After her last surgery, the doctors in Denmark told her that there was nothing else they could do. Though physically difficult due to her limited vision, she continued to paint and make music, selling her CDs to make money to cover living expenses. It was a slow process until fate intervened and she met Reynold Feldman, a retired professor from the University of Hawaii and founder of the Aloha Medical Mission.

Word spread far and wide, and it was soon thereafter that Feldman received a letter from Dr. Michael D. Bennett of Retina Institute of Hawaii. In his letter, Dr. Bennett volunteered to perform a much-needed surgery for free. After raising enough funds for the flight, Aisha traveled from Denmark and arrived in Hawaii on September 24, 2008. “I did not know what ‘aloha spirit’ meant before I came here, but I felt it before I even arrived,” Aisha said. “So many people helped bring me to Hawaii, and Dr. Bennett achieved something I never thought could happen.”

Aisha received her first retinal detachment surgery from Retina Institute of Hawaii soon after her arrival, and immediately following her surgery she noticed a dramatic increase in vision, healing much faster than ever imagined. Ten days later, she had an additional operation to further improve her sight in the other eye, allowing her to regain reading and driving vision before returning to Denmark. Her doctors back in Denmark remarked, “What an amazing change! It was a good thing that you were able to go to Hawaii!”

“Restoring Aisha’s vision was a joint effort by many in our community who possess the spirit of aloha,” said Dr. Bennett. Aisha’s restored vision was made possible through the efforts of Reynold Feldman, who raised funds to cover travel expenses; Worldster Lee, M.D., who donated the surgery center and team; and Jorge Camara, M.D., who performed all pre- and postoperative medical ophthalmology, visual calculations and exams.

“It has been a truly incredible experience to receive such generosity from people I didn’t know,” added Aisha. “Strangers have literally opened their doors to me, and the spirit of aloha has been inspiring. I am looking forward to giving back to a community that has given so much to me.”

A conservatory-trained musician, Aisha travels the world, teaching children about music and art while she composes music for stage productions; plays with various bands; and composes, sings and records her own music. A frequent traveler, she speaks five languages, including Danish, English, German, French and Spanish.

On November 2, 2008, Aisha performed at a mahalo concert at Oahu’s Calvary by the Sea to say thank you to all those who helped shed light in her life and to bid aloha to an ‘ohana who helped her see the light.

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