2009 PREVENT BLINDNESS NEBRASKA KIDVISION TESTIMONIALS

Duchesne Preschool Director Sara Wachter

        Duchesne Preschool Director Sara Wachter decided to host vision screenings two years ago. Students’ parents were grateful and the kids were receptive to the quick screenings by a friendly face.

      “The screener understood the age group and she made the kids very comfortable,” Wachter said. “It’s very non-threatening. The kids even get a sticker when they’re finished.”

     That first year, two of the 30 preschoolers screened were referred to a doctor for complete exams. Both needed glasses. In the second year of Duchesne screenings, another student was referred to an ophthalmologist.

     To Wachter, the screenings just make sense for her young students.   “If you’re not seeing well, you’re not going to learn as well.”

Health Fair Coordinator Michelle Kostal

     Hearing her child’s doctor say the words “potential loss of vision” scared Michelle Kostal. At that point, she knew surgery was necessary to correct her eight-year-old daughter Cassandra’s amblyopia, or “lazy eye.”

     The surgery was successful, but it left Kostal wondering if there was any way the condition might have been detected earlier.  Cassandra had seen an optometrist in first grade, but was not screened in her preschool years. It was actually the girl’s grandmother who noticed the condition when looking at a family photo.

     After learning about the Prevent Blindness program, Kostal invited screeners to a local health fair. It was a very popular booth.

     “It’s very kid-oriented,” Kostal said. “They seemed busy all the time and the kids had fun with it.”