By Scott Slatton
Thursday, May 19, 2011 | 9:05 AM
https://hbtv.us/news/?story_id=762
Student volunteers assist Lions Club. LaDecka Pruitt, Cassy Deken, Elizabeth Skaggs, Shea Anderson, Eli Hyde and Kellie Jones. Not all shown |
If your child were not able to see, would you know it? Not necessarily. In fact, your child may not know it either. Young children often don’t know they have a vision problem because they don’t realize that not everyone sees the world the way they do. Untreated vision problems can lead to academic problems and even permanent vision loss in some cases.
That’s where the Haleyville Lions Club and the Alabama Lion’s Sight Conservation Association step in. Every year, thousands of Alabamians are affected by the Alabama Lion’s Sight Conservation Mobile Screening Unit. The Mobile Screening Unit was established in 1998 to travel throughout our state and screen communities and school children for visual acuity, glaucoma and muscle balance. Since then, many lives have been changed each year and the number of people screened continues to rise. The Haleyville Lions Club sponsors vision screenings each year at the Haleyville School System in order to help diagnose many types of eye related problems and referral of those who need care to local doctors. Often, those who require follow-up treatment qualify for assistance from the Haleyville Lions Club to receive help in paying for eye exams, glasses and many other eye care costs.
This year, the Haleyville Lions Club screened approximately to 700 students at the high school, middle school and elementary school. Parents of students who need referral or follow-up treatment should receive a letter from the school system alerting them of possible problems with their child’s vision. If you or your child are in need of treatment for eye related problems and believe you may qualify for assistance please contact Lions Club President Scott Slatton at 205-486-3618 or Lions Club Sight Chairman Bobby Taylor at 205-486-6200 for more information. You can also visit us online at www.e-clubhouse.org/sites/HALEYVILLE for more information.
In 1925, Helen Keller challenged Lions to become "knights of the blind in the crusade against darkness." And we accepted. Today, sight programs remain one of our defining causes. For more than 60 years, the Haleyville Lions Club has been saving sight through Alabama Lions Sight Conservation Association, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Alabama Lions Sight funds medically necessary eye care for eligible individuals and provides vision screenings for thousands of children and adults every year.