Glasses Can Work Magic
Cross Burchett was a typical three-year-old in Windsor, Colorado, USA who loved to play board games, put together dinosaur puzzles and listen to bedtime stories. When a permission slip came home from his day care center for a vision screening provided free by Lions, his parents quickly consented but had no concerns about his vision. They were shocked to learn that a follow-up screening was recommended because there was indication Burchett was highly farsighted.
No early warning signs
Burchett’s parents had no idea their son had trouble seeing and was using only one eye because of extreme blurriness in the other eye. The day care never saw any indications either. Without the Lions Preschool Vision Screening Program, Burchett would likely have had blurry vision well into school age, obstructing critical learning and life experiences of early childhood.
Vision problems in young children are not uncommon. Amblyopia, known as “lazy eye,” is a leading cause of blindness in children. Through LCIF’s Preschool Vision Screening Program, Lions volunteers were able to screen more than 651,000 children to detect the most common vision disorders that can lead to amblyopia. Sixty-five percent of the children referred had a factor that could cause amblyopia.
Seeing with new eyes
Burchett’s “magic glasses” have worked wonders for him: When he first put on his glasses he looked at amazement at everything from his sister’s face to the “pokey things” on the evergreen trees, and exclaimed “Daddy, you are so big—I can see you!”
“His world is a new, clear world thanks to your organization [Lions Clubs International Foundation]. Words cannot express our gratitude for the program, and we hope that you continue helping children just like Cross,” expressed his mother, Kerri Burchett.
