PHILADELPHIA – Last month, Wills Eye Hospital hosted its 12th annual Give Kids Sight Day, an initiative helping uninsured and underinsured children in the Greater Philadelphia Area get access to vision care.
Thanks to outreach efforts led by Children First, 689 kids ages 6 – 17 were scheduled for free eye screenings by volunteer eye screeners on Saturday, October 9. Those who did not pass the screening received an appointment for an eye exam at Wills Eye Hospital on October 16 when they were given a prescription and picked out two free glasses frames courtesy of the Essilor Vision Foundation.
“Without access to vision care, children in our region are at high risk for failing to thrive in school and life. We are proud to do our part in helping hundreds of kids every year with glasses and medical care,” said Julia A. Haller, MD, Ophthalmologist-in-Chief for Wills Eye Hospital. “Give Kids Sight Day is a remarkable contribution to our community. I want to thank everyone who volunteered time for this crucial initiative. COVID-19 has thrown up so many barriers to this program, but our team has surmounted them all, innovating to provide excellent, empathetic care.”
Nearly 200 volunteers participated in Give Kids Sight Day this year. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Wills Eye and Children First pivoted to providing remote vision screenings involving an at-home assessment guided by a phone call. Eye charts and five-foot lengths of string were mailed to families by Children First, and volunteer screeners led parents and guardians through a remote eye chart reading from the distance of the string with their children over the phone. Any child who did not pass the assessment was given an appointment at Wills Eye for an eye exam on October 16, where 60 kids were seen per hour.
“Vision care is so important for kids because if they can’t see well, it sure makes it hard for them to read, play sports, be an active kid,” said Beth Dougherty, Children First Sight Day Coordinator. “It’s inspiring to be a part of this project because you can see the parents’ relief when their children are examined by compassionate doctors and staff. It’s a great way to come together as a community to give children and teens a brighter future.”
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