Nine children with severe vision loss went home with free electronic video magnifiers on November 30, 2017. The devices came through a partnership between Western University of Health Sciences (WesternU) and Sight Savers America. The clinic took place at the WesternU Eye Care Institute in Los Angeles, which focuses on low-vision rehabilitation.
One of the children was Mackenzie Martinez, 16, of Covina. He was trained on his new Freedom Scientific Onyx HD Electronic Video Magnifier (EVM). The device enlarges text so reading gets easier. It even let him look out the window. The view took in Beverly Hills High School and the Hollywood sign. Mackenzie said the magnifier would make his life much easier, since he plans to use it for reading, homework and much more. He called it a real Christmas gift and said he was very thankful.
How the program works
Medical insurance does not cover this kind of equipment. So Sight Savers America buys it and trains each child and the parents. Then it places the device in the home at no cost to the family. The group also provides follow-up care until the child turns 19, which keeps the device in good shape and in regular use.
Michelle Littleton, grants manager at Sight Savers America, said the program could not happen without WesternU. Local partners are a key piece, she noted, because they find the children who need it most.
Funding for the clinic came from the Karl Kirchgessner Foundation, the Million Dollar Round Table Foundation, the Charles and Mildred Schnurmacher Foundation and VFO.
Linda Pang, OD, FAAO, is chief of Vision Rehabilitation Service at the WesternU College of Optometry. She said she was glad to serve the Los Angeles area, where many people can benefit. She hopes the partnership with Sight Savers America lasts as long as possible. She also wants to find other partners, so that more patients and families living with vision loss and blindness get help. Above all, she wants families to know that services, assistive devices and resources exist for them.
The families
Lilly Guzman, 11, of Inglewood, said the magnifier will help her play with her Lego Friends sets. Her mother, Julie Croff, said it would help a great deal. Lilly can now paint her nails, read her math book and build with Lego, she explained. She will also see many things that were out of reach before.
Jacob Santiago, 16, of Highland, is a patient at the WesternU Eye Care Institute in Pomona. He has cone-rod dystrophy, an inherited disorder in which the cones and rods of the retina break down and vision fades over time. Jacob called the magnifier probably the best equipment he has ever had. He said it seems more reliable and has far more features than his past devices, while its portability impressed him most.
Erin Spinello of Ladera Ranch came with her son Cade, 11, who has a brain tumor between his optic nerves. She liked how the Sight Savers America case specialist greeted Cade warmly and worked with him hands-on. She said she saw a spark in his eye, and if he is excited, he will use it. Raising children with special needs is very expensive, she added. So the family feels blessed by a gift that gives Cade a better life.