Success Stories

In five short weeks, 4-year-old Andrew's vision in his left eye improved from 20/200 to 20/70, thanks to a thorough screening by the Sight & Hearing Association (SHA) at his preschool and follow-up care by a Twin Cities ophthalmologist. Andrew has amblyopia, an eye condition where one eye "sees" significantly different from the other eye. This causes the brain to cease using the weaker eye. In this Burnsville preschooler's case, his right eye sees 20/20, but his left eye, at 20/200, was hardly being used. Amblyopia is an "unseen" eye disease, because no one - not even the most attentive parent - can tell his or her child has it except through a vision test. Indeed, Andrew's parents did not know anything was wrong until the Sight & Hearing Association screened their son. Shortly before SHA offered vision and hearing screening at his preschool, Andrew had his pre-Kindergarten screening through the school district. During the vision screening, he did not want to cover up his right eye for the screening. (In hindsight, it was because he could only see with his left eye.) The person performing the test dismissed it as Andrew just being "too tired of all the testing." Andrew's mom was told not to be concerned. Two weeks later, when she saw the results of the screening by SHA at his preschool, Child Development and Learning Center (CDLC) in Burnsville, she immediately called Andrew's pediatrician who referred him Dr. Jeffrey Stephens of Eye Physicians and Surgeons in Burnsville. "Dr. Stephens basically told us that if we would have waited until Andrew was 7- or 8-years-old, he would have been legally blind. Between the Sight & Hearing Association and CDLC, you literally saved my son's eyesight." To treat an amblyopic eye, a patch is commonly used to cover the stronger eye, which forces the weaker eye to work. Glasses are also another corrective tool. In Andrew's case, he is now wearing glasses full time and a patch for four hours a day. Andrew wears the patch over his right eye to force the left eye to work. He'll most likely have to wear the patch until age 10. Andrew has grown accustomed to it, though."We went from coming home from the doctor's office the first day with him saying 'Mom, I can't see you,' to him now being able to see things across the room," explained his mom. And his glasses? "He loves them. We walked out of the store and he said, 'Mom, everything looks so big!'" Because of his improved vision, Andrew's mom has noticed significant changes in the things Andrew can do, like play on the computer. We have several games, like Thomas the Tank Engine, where fine motor skills are required. He had a difficult time before, but now he can do it all." And, like other 4-year-olds, Andrew continues to play ball, ride his bike like a maniac, create artwork and play with his new puppy. Andrew's mom is grateful for the screening and her son's improving vision. "Everything you guys do and all that we've learned has just been priceless," she said. "I think everyone should have this [screening] done. I truly am thankful for everything SHA has done for him."

Four-year-old Darian loves her new, pink glasses. Thanks to the Sight & Hearing Association's Vision Voucher Project for Kids, those pink glasses were free. The Vision Voucher Project offers a free eye exam and eyeglasses to uninsured children who are screened through our program. Since the program's debut in 2002, Sight & Hearing Association has distributed more than 8,000 vision vouchers. Before she was screened at Cherish the Children in Minneapolis, Darian started exhibiting signs of a potential vision problem. "She was squinting, blinking a lot and sitting real close to the television," said her mom. Screeners from SHA found her vision was 20/70 in her right eye and 20/40 in her left, with a slight misalignment of the eyes. Darian was referred and diagnosed with astigmatism and amblyopia, commonly called lazy eye. If left untreated, amblyopia leads to vision loss in the weaker eye. To help correct the amblyopia, her doctor prescribed glasses. The first time she put on her new, pink glasses, Darian exclaimed, "I can see everything now! I can see really far."

Five-year-old Davy received vision and hearing screening at a Head Start early childhood center in Newport. Sight & Hearing Association (SHA) screeners found that Davy was able to hear all the tones in his right ear, but he could not hear anything in his left ear. Davy’s parents received a recommendation from SHA that they bring him in for further follow-up care with a hearing specialist, as soon as possible. Davy’s parents made an appointment for him to be examined by an otolaryngologist (ear, nose, throat physician) at HealthPartners Stillwater Medical Group. After a hearing testing was completed, it was confirmed that he was completely deaf in his left ear. His parents and teachers were shocked, since Davy had no outward signs that he had a hearing loss. In fact, he had passed his hearing screening a year earlier. After further testing, doctors determined that the probable cause of Davy’s hearing loss was carbon monoxide in the home. Eight months earlier the water heater and furnace in his house emitted high levels of carbon monoxide, enough to deprive Davy of oxygen. Put under 48-hour surveillance, he had no adverse reactions — until four months later when SHA visited his school to conduct their annual screening. Davy is now undergoing neurological testing to ensure he suffered no other damage. “I thank the Lord so much for the people who screened Davy,” exclaimed his mother. “I can’t imagine what would have happened had he not had this screening, most likely, he would have problems in school and we would not know why. It is wonderful that someone found it.”

Drew has a special ear, he boasts, but it wasn’t until the Sight & Hearing Association (SHA) screened his hearing that anyone knew about it. Drew was referred by SHA for a potential hearing concern after a screening at Mt. Olivet Preschool in Minneapolis. Ironically, he had just been to his four-year well-check visit at his pediatrician’s office a couple months before and passed the hearing test. His mom took him back to his pediatrician, who said it was probably a blockage due to a cold. A month later, they tested him and again said it was probably a cold. His mom persevered, taking him to see Laura Pett, an audiologist with Children’s Hospitals & Clinics in Minnetonka. A full hearing evaluation concluded that Drew had a unilateral hearing loss— an 85 percent high-frequency loss in his left ear. “Looking back, the signs were all there, we just didn’t take them seriously,” Drew’s mom admits. “We lost him so many times in Target or Macy’s, where he would just drift off and not hear us calling him. I would ask him to get dressed, and he wouldn’t do it. We just thought he was being stubborn and didn’t want to listen. We had to repeat things all the time.” There is no way to know for sure how long Drew has had a hearing loss. He had his hearing screened as a newborn at the hospital and has been to all of his pediatric well-child visits— but it was never caught. His audiologist recommended a hearing aid for Drew’s left ear, suggesting a six-month trial to see how it would work for him. Drew’s parents were unsure how a hearing aid would affect Drew, both socially and with his physical activities, such as soccer. A turning point in their decision occurred after a friend offered some advice. Turning to Drew’s dad, who has worn glasses since he was a child, she asked, “what if your parents would have told you that you could see just fine and they weren’t going to buy you the glasses you needed?” Convinced, Drew’s parents took him in for a fitting, where he chose some flashy ear molds—swirly red, white and blue— for his new hearing aid. “We had that moment at the doctor’s office when he first put it in and turned it on,” his mom said. “His eyes lit up and he said, ‘Wow!’” Drew’s parents have noticed differences, too. His speech is clearer, he does not get lost when shopping, and when it’s time to go to school he gets ready when his mom asks. Drew’s parents said, “without the screening, I think we would have always thought he was stubborn and didn’t want to listen to us. Obviously, the pediatrician wasn’t catching it, so the screening from Sight & Hearing Association was definitely worth it— 100 percent!” And Drew understands how important his hearing aid is, when kids ask him about it he responds, “it’s my special ear and it helps me hear.”

Ellie didn't know she should be seeing any different. Imagine spending your entire life seeing clearly through only one eye. That is what it is like for kids with amblyopia. Until they are diagnosed, these children go through life thinking everyone sees the way they do: blurry in one eye and clear in the other. They have no idea they should be seeing any other way. Such was the case for three-year-old Ellie, who was diagnosed with amblyopia last December. Screened by the Sight & Hearing Association (SHA) at Hosanna Preschool in Lakeville, Ellie's vision was 20/30 in her right eye, but 20/100 in her left. Her brain was essentially learning to turn off vision to her left eye. Amblyopia is the medical term used when the vision in one of the eyes is reduced because the eye and the brain are not working together properly. The eye itself looks normal, but it is not being used normally because the brain is favoring the other eye. This condition is commonly called lazy eye. Ellie's mom is grateful for the screening that found her daughter's eye condition. “I noticed that she would bring books close to her, or would stand close to the TV," explained her mom, "but I thought that was just her. All kids seem to do that. I didn't think it was unusual. Without this screening, my daughter would still be seeing that way." Amblyopia is the most common cause of visual impairment in childhood. The condition affects approximately 2 to 3 out of every 100 children. Unless it is successfully treated in early childhood, amblyopia usually persists into adulthood, and is the most common cause of monocular (one eye) visual impairment among children and young and middle-aged adults. For Ellie, treatment means wearing glasses full time and an eye patch up to four hours a day. The patch is placed over her strong eye, which forces the weaker eye to work. She wears the patch to preschool, where she does a lot of close-up activities, such as looking at books, doing crafts, coloring and playing with Play-Doh. After getting her new glasses, Ellie was quick to point out the things she could see. "She said, 'Oh wow, I can see those colors on that sign,'" recalls her mom. "She definitely notices when she doesn't have her glasses on." Because of Ellie's condition, which often is hereditary, her two-year-old sister, Georgia, also has been tested. She does not show signs of amblyopia. Ellie’s mom is thrilled her daughter is getting the help she needs thanks to SHA. "I'd rather be going through this now, when she's young, then later, when it could really have affected her life."

Three-year-old Jonah likes Rescue Heroes and puzzles, but he isn’t quite sure about his new glasses. Jonah is one of the many children the Sight & Hearing Association (SHA) finds every year who need glasses. Jonah was screened at New Hope Pre-Kindergarten, where screeners from SHA found his vision to be 20/40 in his left eye and 20/50 in his right, with a tendency to deviate. Within one month after screening Jonah, he had visited a pediatric ophthalmologist and was wearing glasses. “Obviously, if there was a problem, I wanted to get it checked out right away,” explained Jonah’s mom. “It made sense to move to the next step to rule anything out.” Dr. Parvataneni, a pediatric ophthalmologist at Northwest Eye Clinic, confirmed the screening results. Jonah is farsighted (meaning he doesn’t see clearly up close) with a slight movement (misalignment) between the two eyes. The glasses will work to correct the muscle imbalance. Jonah’s mom is a high-school counselor and working in the education field heightens her awareness of the importance of vision and hearing to learning. “Vision and hearing are imperative to learning. You need to remove any barrier [whether it’s a vision problem or something else] that would make learning more challenging. It was difficult initially to hear the results of the screening,” because the problem wasn’t something she or her husband could see. “We didn’t suspect any problems,” she said. “But that’s what preventative screening is all about; it is so much easier to rectify the problem before it’s a bigger, more noticeable problem.”

Dr. Kristin Davis knows all about the importance of healthy vision and hearing in children. After all, she is a pediatrician. However, it wasn't until a screening by the Sight & Hearing Association (SHA) when it hit closer to home. Her daughter, Kaitlyn, then age three, had a hearing loss - and Kristin didn't know it. According to Kristin, Kaitlyn's speech and vocabulary were great and she did not suffer from recurring ear infections - both signs of a potential hearing problem. "Timing was perfect for Kaitlyn," Kristin said. "Had she not had the screenings early, we would not have known she couldn't hear, and there are so many other issues that can arise out of that." Kaitlyn was screened twice by SHA at her preschool, Noah's Ark Preschool in Circle Pines. After her first screening indicated she didn't pass the hearing tests, Kristin's reaction was "whoa … this is something." A rescreen one month later indicated another failed test and that Kaitlyn should see a doctor. Kristin took her to see Dr. Barbara Malone, a pediatric ENT (ear-nose-throat doctor), who diagnosed her with a conductive hearing loss. A conductive hearing loss occurs because of a mechanical problem in the middle or inner ear. For instance, the eardrum may fail to vibrate in response to sound. Even fluid trapped in the middle ear can cause a conductive hearing loss. That was the case for Kaitlyn. Her eustachian tube, which drains fluid from the middle ear, was blocked by tissue surrounding her adenoids and tonsils, resulting in chronic fluid in her middle ear. "Her doctor covered my ears with her hands and said, 'This is how Kaitlyn hears,'" explained Kristin. "I felt just horrible, but I had no way of knowing." Fortunately, a conductive hearing loss is usually reversible. Kaitlyn underwent surgery to remove her adenoids and tonsils. Almost immediately, everything was much more clear and pronounced. "I was blow-drying her hair," recalled Kristin, "and she covered her ears because it was too loud." Other things like that - running water in the bathtub, the flushing of toilets in a public restroom, and even a movie - were all loud sounds that made Kaitlyn quickly cover her ears. Kristin then realized how much Kaitlyn had been missing. "She didn't have a delay, and she had been to all of her well-visits" she said, "so we didn't have any concerns. But we didn't know she couldn't hear." Kaitlyn was so excited about her newfound hearing that she colored a picture for Dr. Malone with the words: "Thank you for helping me hear." Now, when Kristin meets a patient with an ear infection or fluid in the ears, she is vigilant to get it cleared up. "A huge part of my quickness to act is because I've seen it up close and firsthand." "In a pediatric office, we very rarely rely on a three-year well-check hearing screening," Kristin said. "Too often the child doesn't want to participate or they may not understand what they're supposed to do.”But getting a thorough screening, [like the one by Sight & Hearing Association], is absolutely important for language development and articulation," explained Kristin. "Significant development and behavior issues, even issues with potty training, can occur because of the mere fact that a child can't communicate." Kristin says Kaitlyn was a perfect candidate for this screening.

A child’s vision can change dramatically in a short period of time. Such was the case for Tara Valeti. At the age of 3, Tara had a complete eye exam showing normal vision. Her mom, Mrunalini Parvataneni (also known as Dr. P.), is a pediatric ophthalmologist with Northwest Eye Clinic and a board member of the Sight & Hearing Association. Fast-forward a year, when the Sight & Hearing Association screened Tara at her preschool. She failed her vision screening. It turns out Tara was preamblyopic, nearsighted and had a significant astigmatism — all of which arose in one year. Amblyopia, commonly called lazy eye, is a condition where there is strong vision in one eye and weak vision in the other. The brain learns to turn off vision to the weaker eye. In Tara’s case, she was 20/20 in her right eye, but 20/50 in her left. Fortunately, because the problem was caught early, glasses are correcting the problem and the amblyopia has reversed, so there is no need to patch. Normally with amblyopia, a patch is used to cover the strong eye, forcing the weaker eye to work. “This highlights the importance of screening,” said Dr. P. “Here I am a doctor. I had tested her vision. Within that year things had changed dramatically.” Dr. P. is familiar with childhood eye conditions like amblyopia and strabismus, not only as an eye doctor, but because she was diagnosed with strabismus as a young child. Strabismus is a condition where the eyes are not properly aligned with each other. One or both eyes turn in, out, up or down. Dr. P’s eyes crossed at the age of 2. By the time she was 7, she needed surgery to correct the problem. Being nearsighted, she wore glasses, but outgrew them in her early teens. Today, she wears them for nearsightedness and astigmatism. If left untreated, amblyopia can lead to strabismus or strabismus can lead to amblyopia. It is the most common childhood eye condition, but generally not detected except through an eye exam or thorough screening. It also runs in families. Because of her family history — not only did Dr. P. have strabismus, but her brother had amblyopia — Dr. P. knew the likelihood that her children may inherit the condition. She had already tested Tara’s brother, whose vision is normal. She intended to retest Tara before kindergarten, but the SHA screening beat her to it. “Screens are designed to pick things up at ages when things change,” explained Dr. P. “If we would’ve waited any longer, her vision and the treatment would have been so much more complicated.”