Lions Club members ready to help pre-screen Whatcom kids for childhood vision problems

In 2013, a few weeks after getting a routine eye screening at her elementary school in upstate New York, 5-year-old Brianna Leitten was blind in her left eye.

The free screening, given by her local Lions Club, had indicated she should see an eye doctor to rule out any abnormalities. Leitten was fine following the screening, but by the time her parents took her to a doctor weeks later, a retina had completely detached.

Numerous tests revealed a cancerous tumor that required removal of the eye, but the emergency surgery saved her life.

Without the screening, the outcome may have been different.

Stories like these have inspired Lions Clubs across the country to take part in KidSight USA, a community effort to screen children ages 6 months to 6 years for potential vision disorders.

The KidSight program has come to Whatcom County due to a partnership between Bellingham’s Harborview Lions and the Ferndale Lions Club.

Using a Plusoptix vision screening camera, children can be screened for far-sightedness, near-sightedness, astigmatism, and lazy eye – when both eyes cannot focus simultaneously.

So far, the high-tech medical device has been used only twice since they obtained it several months ago.

Sue Watjen, local coordinator for the program, said they’re still looking for locations to have screenings, including preschools, Sunday schools, or anywhere groups of children could benefit.

Any preschool or group is encouraged to contact the clubs for free screenings: haborviewlions@gmail.com or call the Ferndale club at 360-201-2375.

The camera – which cost the clubs thousands of dollars – features a smiley face on the front of it. It’s held by a volunteer about three feet away from its subject, providing eye scan results that are then printed off for parents to take with them.

Each child is either given a “pass,” requiring no further evaluation; or a “refer,” in which case the child should be taken for a professional eye exam to further investigate any issues. All parents must sign a consent form for their child to be screened.

Watjen said it’s important for eye problems to be caught no later than age 6. Past 7 years, issues are harder to correct and may lead to permanent vision problems.

About 1 in 20 preschoolers have undetected vision problems. The goal, she said, is to correct these before a child begins schooling, thus preventing possible learning issues.

Watjen said the clubs want to err on the side of caution by suggesting professional referrals, rather than missing something that could be a problem. Still, she cautions that the screenings are just that, and despite the camera being a tested medical instrument, Lions Club volunteers are not eye doctors.

“We do not diagnose anything,” she said. “What we say is, ‘this is what the camera shows at this moment in time.’”

Watjen said the clubs will follow-up with parents who receive referrals about three months later, as they continue to determine the program’s local value. They may also attempt to seek local sponsors for the program.

The clubs may also arrange for public walk-in screenings, and welcome volunteers for training and ideas for screening locations.

“It’s kind of exciting to be (involved) in something that you can be a little hands-on (with), and feel that you’re doing something for somebody,” she said. “We’re not going to leave anyone without help.”

This story was originally published November 28, 2016 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Lions Club members ready to help pre-screen Whatcom kids for childhood vision problems."