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Our son Alexandre was born in Geneva, Switzerland. Working in the Optical industry I thought I was well informed about the necessity of vision screening and tests for young children. We moved from Switzerland, to France and finally to the US. A number of physicians and health care professionals in three different countries with good health care systems saw Alexandre as he was growing up as an active and healthy boy, none of them ever detected a vision problem with our son.
My company Essilor located in the Tampa Bay Area organized a screening for employees. Somehow I convinced my wife to come to the screening with our two children. Alexandre was 4 years old at that time. The vision test was organized by Prevent Blindness in Florida. The screening was performed by a volunteer of the organization. She very quickly understood that Alex had a problem with his right eye. After a visit to a pediatric ophthalmologist, we found out that Alexandre had developed amblyopia (or lazy eye) due to a four diopters anisometropia (large difference in optical power between his two eyes). His vision in his right eye even with correction was only 20/80.
We were devastated, but there was good news. Because the condition was detected at such a young age it could be treated with a good chance of reversing it. Alexandre started wearing glasses. He also had to wear a patch for four hours a day. It was not easy having a young boy wearing a patch, but the prevent blindness sticker program with the cartoon dog character named “Patch” really helped. Alex made quick progress and less than a year later he had recovered 20/20 acuity and binocular vision with eyeglasses correction. If not for the Prevent Blindness volunteer, Alex would have irreversibly lost use of his eye around age 7 or 8. Alexandre is now 11 years old, his vision with glasses or contact lenses is excellent.
There was however an unforeseen consequence. After Alexandre recovered perfect vision he insisted in wanting a dog. A few months Alexandre chose a dog and named him Patch.
Sincerely,
John Carrier
President and CEO
Essilor USA
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