By Mary Koppes
Petersburg Pilot
Writer
Kids will be able to receive a free vision
screening when the Mendenhall Flying Lions come through town March 24-25. The
Juneau-based organization will be at the Petersburg Public Schools screening
elementary and middle school students, and appointments can be made for
children who are home schooled or for those who are not school-aged (down to 6
months old).
The screenings measure kid’s refraction, pupil
sizes and corneal reflexes and compare them to age-based criteria.
“It identifies quite a few problems, and it’ll
tell us, those kids within (age) parameter, they pass; or if they’re outside of
the parameters for their age they need to go see a professional,” said Allen
Butner, a member of the Mendenhall Flying Lions.
A machine called a PlusOptix takes a photo of
the eyes and delivers results immediately. The whole process takes just
seconds.
Screenings are performed by volunteers, not eye
care professionals. Butner said they do not deliver diagnoses but can flag
abnormalities that parents and caretakers can follow up on with a professional.
Bringing vision screening to rural communities
is important, Butner said, because such services are often not available.
However, identifying potential problems early makes them easier to address.
“A lot of these things, the sooner you find it,
the easier it is to correct,” he said.
“We have a family member who was screened by the
Lions and the tests showed he had a ‘lazy eye’ and was almost blind in that
eye. Without that screening early on, his problem might have gone undetected
longer, making it harder to correct. We are grateful that the Lions are working
to screen children of all ages,” commented Anne Loesch.
The Mendenhall Flying Lions are a service
organization associated with the Lions Club International. In addition to the
free vision screenings, they perform other service projects including litter
clean up, food drives, and an eye glass recycling program.
For more information on the screening, contact
Butner at 907-723-7829.