Free Screening Helps Prevent Future Vision Problems

The Missouri Lions Eye Research Foundation screens children for a variety of vision problems, including nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism and anisometropia. All of these conditions are serious issues on their own, but if not treated, can lead to something even worse - amblyopia, the leading cause of childhood blindness.

At age three, Elijah of Wright City, Mo. was screened by the Foundation at his daycare. The Foundation recognized a potential vision problem and referred Elijah for a follow-up examination with his family eye doctor. The little boy was diagnosed with astigmatism, which causes blurry vision due to an irregularly-shaped cornea and affects many individuals in Elijah's family, including his older sister.

Said his mother, Cheryl, "Thankfully the vision problem was caught early, before it had a large effect on him. When my daughter was five, she would get terrible headaches. I did not know it was because of her vision, and it got to the point that was becoming inactive. She didn't want to play anymore and just wanted to lie down in her room all the time. That was when we went to the doctor, and he told me to get her eyes examined. I am glad we found out about Elijah's astigmatism before it got to that point."

While it took some time for Elijah to get used to wearing his new glasses, his vision has improved and he was able to avoid many of the problems associated with astigmatism in children, including the risk of amblyopia.

Cheryl and her family are appreciative of the Foundation's free Amblyopia Prevention Screening. "I would like to say thank you to everyone at the Missouri Lions Eye Research Foundation for offering such a wonderful and important service. The eye doctor said if Elijah's vision had gone untreated, he almost definitely would have ended up with amblyopia."