Fy-Eye January 2019

Five-year-old Kira is seeing the world more clearly after she was vision screened by the local Lions club in Almena. Kira did not pass her vision screening and was referred on for further care where she was prescribed glasses. Mom had this to say about her daughter’s vision screening, “I was extremely grateful for the Lions Club conducting the screening. I felt guilty initially for not knowing she needed glasses, but then relieved she got the help she needed.”

Share your child’s success with Prevent Blindness Wisconsin by submitting a Success Story. Children who share their story and photo receive a free vision-related book! 

One such example of the impact a certified adult vision screening made on adults in our community is Gertie. Gertie did not pass her vision screening and was a candidate for Prevent Blindness Wisconsin’s Adult Voucher Program. She recently went into the eye doctor and received an eye exam and a new pair of glasses. Gertie says, “I just want to thank you and your organization for helping me and other people with vision problems. I was so happy you were vision screening at Project Homeless Connect and helping people get to vision care. I was so happy with my eye exam and the new glasses I will be getting. Thank you!”

Gertie recently celebrated her birthday and is excited to have her new glasses as a belated birthday present.

Lions Support Prevent Blindness Wisconsin Volunteers in the Community

Members from the Wauwatosa Lions Club are chipping in and helping Prevent Blindness Wisconsin volunteers provide certified preschool vision screenings to children in Wauwatosa, Brookfield, and Elm Grove. Thank you, Wauwatosa Lions Club, for partnering with our volunteers to help vision screen preschool students in your community. As a team, we can all make sure children have healthy vision this year and beyond.

2018 Grassroot Fundraisers: Year in Review

Thank you to everyone who participated in our 2018 Grassroots fundraising events. A special thank you to: ABV Social, Benvenuto’s, Blue’s Egg, Café Grace, Central Standard Craft Distillery, India Hicks, Kendra Scott, the Mequon Chancery, Newd Custom Printing, and Stone Arch Brewpub for supporting Prevent Blindness Wisconsin and our sight saving services. Like and follow us on Facebook to stay up to date with events throughout 2019.

If you know of a company that has a give-back program and think that Prevent Blindness Wisconsin would be a good fit, please contact Bridget at [email protected].

Prevent Blindness Wisconsin is honored to announce it has been awarded grants from the Alvin and Marion Birnschein Foundation, the Emory T. Clark Family Charitable Foundation, the Ralph Evinrude Foundation, and the Robert T. and Betty Rose-Meyer Family Foundation to support our sight-saving services for children across the state.

Thank you Alvin and Marion Birnschein Foundation for providing funding needed to update, print, and purchase supplies and materials needed to support children’s vision screening training and vision health education which makes healthy vision possible for hundreds of thousands of children each year.

Thank you Emory T. Clark Family Charitable Foundation for supporting the Star Pupils – Milwaukee Private Schools Program which ensures children at private, choice and charter schools that cannot manage vision screening on their own receive a certified vision screening and follow-up support. Thanks to the Foundation’s support, approximately 1,300 primarily low-income children will be placed on the path to healthy vision for success in school and life.

Thank you Ralph Evinrude Foundation for supporting the Children’s Vision Screening Program in Milwaukee and Waukesha Counties, ensuring more than 35,000 children have the healthy vision they need to begin their educational careers with success.

Thank you Robert T. and Betty Rose-Meyer Family Foundation for supporting the Children’s Vision Screening Program in the Greater Green Bay Area which brings the future into focus for more than 19,000 children through vision screening.

January is National Glaucoma Awareness Month

Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the world and can affect anyone. It has no cure and often goes unnoticed until permanent side-vision loss occurs. Glaucoma is a chronic condition that affects the pressure in the eye damaging the optic nerve, the main communication system between the eyes and brain.

Glaucoma is called the Sneak Thief of Sight because many people don’t know they have it until permanent vision loss occurs. 

Detecting and treating glaucoma in its early stages is essential when preserving sight and preventing permanent vision loss from the disease. To test for possible signs of glaucoma, the pressure in the eye and the health of the optic nerve is examined. These tests are most commonly performed when a dilated eye exam is given at the eye doctor’s office.

Once someone is diagnosed with glaucoma, treatments are lifelong to keep the pressure in the eye at a steady, stable level. Typically, individuals are prescribed drops/pills to take daily to help regulate the pressure in the eye.

Those at the highest risk for glaucoma are African Americans and Hispanic/Latinos age 40 and older. Those who have family members with glaucoma are also considered “at risk” for glaucoma.

Glaucoma can only be diagnosed through a dilated eye exam and once diagnosed must be monitored by your eye doctor throughout your lifetime. Have you had a dilated eye exam lately?

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Thank you!