provided by member, Jami Cortez of Plusoptix, Inc.
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words
I’m sure the familiar saying; “A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words” resonates as you look at this photo of a baby named, Ella, sporting her new pink glasses. In fact, some of the words you might come up with are, “precious”, “cute”, and “sweet”. Aside from those most adoring words, after knowing Ella’s story, you might want to use words such as “Lions”, “Vision Screening”, and “Plusoptix”. Obviously, not as appealing, but Ella and her pink glasses represent the fact that she was in need of glasses and her need was founded on a vision screening conducted by the local Lions Club.
Ella’s First Screening
Kristi Voeller, of North Dakota, took her 6 month old daughter, Ella, for a vision screening conducted by the local Prairie Rose Lions Club at her MOPS Group in Bismarck. Kristi admits, she almost did not take baby Ella to get screened because she was only 6 months old and she had been seen regularly by the family pediatrician and there had not been any concerns. Since there was no one in line to get screened, Kristi decided she would go ahead and take Ella. To Kristi’s surprise, Ella was referred for further evaluation by an eye care professional. Even with the referral, Kristi thought it was some kind of fluke. However, she scheduled an appointment through the InfantSEE program for several months later. Not thinking there was any rush, she thought it was fine to wait until then. However, her husband, having to see the optometrist himself at about the same time, took Ella’s referral information with him to his appointment and showed the optometrist the results of Ella’s screening. Upon looking at the screening results, the optometrist suggested taking Ella to see her for a follow-up as soon as possible.
Ella Needs Glasses
After Ella was seen by the optometrist and given a series of tests, it was determined that Ella needed glasses. Kristi remarked at the difference in Ella’s behavior after receiving her new pink glasses one week later. Ella became much more engaging, fascinated with her mommy’s nose along with her toys, playing with the family dog and her big sister, 4 year old Emma. In addition, she had become more vocal, interested in her surroundings and environment by crawling more, and paying more attention to what is around her.
Ella’s Glasses are Pink
How can you miss those pink glasses? Everywhere Ella goes; Kristi is stopped and asked about Ella’s pink glasses. Ella loves her glasses and doesn’t want to take them off. Ella’s pink glasses have changed the way Ella sees everything around her. Not only does Ella look adorable, but even at 6 months old, Ella’s sight has been improved all because of a vision screening conducted by the Prairie Rose Lions Club.
A Big Thanks to the Prairie Rose Lions Club
The Prairie Rose Lions Club, in keeping with the mission of Lions KidSightUSA, conducts vision screenings with the Plusoptix vision screener. Plusoptix is a proud partner of Lions KidSightUSA, a nation-wide program that brings Lions clubs across the country together to ensure young children receive eye screenings and follow-up care when needed. The Plusoptix vision screener ensures that children are screened for the most prevalent risk factors that may lead to the development of Amblyopia or “lazy eye”. An early diagnosis means early correction and treatment. Thanks to the Prairie Rose Lions Club and early intervention, Ella’s vision has been improved.
For more information about the Plusoptix vision screener and Lions KidSightUSA, please visit www.plusoptix.com and www.lionskidsightusa.org.
