Aliyah Smith
When four-year-old Aliyah’s right eye began to drift, her mother, Johnna Smith, took her to an optometrist for a vision screening.
“They told me Aliyah needed glasses but that I would have to go to an ophthalmologist before they could do anything more for her,” says Johnna.
Although Johnna had health insurance, the coverage was minimal. Finding an ophthalmologist that would accept her insurance was the first obstacle. Coming up with the money to pay for glasses was the second.
In the meantime, Aliyah’s vision continued to suffer.
“I was concerned about Aliyah’s eyesight and how it was affecting her ability to learn at school,” explains Aliyah’s teacher. “When I found out Junior Blind of America would be offering free vision screenings in our preschool program, I was given hope that this little girl would get the care she needed.”
Junior Blind’s specially-trained vision screeners confirmed what the optometrist had speculated. Aliyah showed signs of having problems with vision and depth perception—issues associated with amblyopia (lazy eye) that can result in permanent vision loss.
However, this time, Aliyah would receive the medical attention necessary to help correct her condition and prevent her vision from worsening.
Junior Blind referred Aliyah to one of our two partnering pediatric ophthalmologists, Louise Davis, M.D. and Kenneth Wright, M.D. Both physicians are working together with Junior Blind to ensure that inability to pay is never an obstacle to our children receiving proper treatment.
As part of our new Vision Screening Program, Junior Blind has provided free vision screenings to more than 1,600 low-income preschool and elementary-school-age children. But as we know from Aliyah’s case, a screening is not enough.
To help ensure that every child we screen receives crucial follow-up care and medical examinations, Junior Blind offers to cover the cost of glasses and doctor’s fees, as well as provide transportation to and from doctor’s visits, for each family in need of assistance.
An alarming 66 percent of children continue to enter school without ever undergoing an eye exam or vision screening. For most, it’s simply because their families just don’t have the means.
The good news is when a problem is detected, it can be treated, and children like Aliyah can have healthy vision and live fulfilling lives.
After having her glasses just a few months, Aliyah is already making leaps and bounds.
“She is so confident now that she has her new glasses,” says her teacher.
“She enters the classroom with a smile and is more focused on the lessons. It really is a life-changing program.”
Aliyah’s mom echoes this enthusi-asm, “This has been a blessing. There’s no way Aliyah would have been able to get the vision care she needed if it wasn’t for Junior Blind.”
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