Story Lions Club screens 34 children for possible vision problems

Clint Wood

The Story Lions Club screened 34 children for possible vision problems at the Story Museum during Story Days Saturday. Four of the children were referred to by the parents’ preferred optometrists in the debut of this free program. The children participated in Story Days activities.

Elaina Winters, vice president of the Story Lions Club and vision program coordinator, described how important early screening is.

She noted that a child can lose that eye to blindness after age 6 because it quits working if they have not had any intervention.

Winters, who is assisted by her sister, Edie, said the club partnered with other Sheridan area Lions clubs and the local Salvation Army to fund a voucher program available to children who can’t afford to pay for the services if they are referred to additional optometric care. The voucher is for $250 for children to go to a local optometrist to receive lenses, frames, and an exam.

Elaina noted commitments from the Sundowners Lions Club in Sheridan and Big Horn Lions Club assisted in the purchase of a hand-held Plusoptix screener which is designed for children as young as five months old. It detects the most common vision disorders, including far-sightedness and near sightedness.

Elaina noted that Sundowners did this program for several years. She said they asked in November if any other club would take the program over. She said her club decided to reignite the program.

Funding was the main reason that the children did not go to their optometrists from surveys. The club then worked diligently for six months to obtain funding for the referral process, Elaina said.

The Club has several activities in the future. Elaina lists several.