A gift of vision

Students receive free eye exams through Adopt-A-School Program

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A special scene unfolded inside the small conference room at Johnston’s Thornton Elementary School on a recent morning.

Several children, seated at a table alongside three adults, were about to have one of the most important exams of their young lives.

But the test didn’t include reading, writing or arithmetic, as the old adage goes. It was to see whether or not fourth- and fifth-graders were experiencing vision problems and needed eye glasses.

Equally as important and impressive, people like Thornton Principal Louise Denham and School Nurse Deborah Gannon said, was that the examinations were provided at no cost.

For the second time in as many years, in fact, Essilor – the leading manufacturer of eye glass lenses in the United States – and its highly-rated non-profit arm, the Essilor Vision Foundation, teamed with Eyesite RI to provide free eye examinations for children in need.

And if those exams discovered deficiencies and that the children needed eye glasses, Essilor would provide those lenses and frames to the children for free.

“It’s a wonderful win-win program for the children who might never have a chance to be examined, let alone get a pair of much-needed eye glasses,” said Frances E. Lynch, senior brand sales consultant for Essilor Lenses. “Our company – and the non-profit foundation – takes great pride in providing this special service.”

This year, Essilor teamed with Eyesite RI, its founder Dr. Maria Jablonski and Dr. Michael Consiglio to provide eye care for children in need.

“Eyesite RI is a specialized eye care service based in Cranston,” Lynch explained. “We thank Dr. Jablonski and Dr. Consiglio for offering these free comprehensive eye exams to students in need as part of Essilor Vision Foundation Adopt-A-School Program. It’s absolutely heart-warming to be part of such a great program and with such dedicated professionals.”

Jablonski, who held her exams at Arlington Elementary School in Cranston, and Consiglio, who visited Thornton Elementary School, offered: “We are honored to participate in this Adopt-A-School program to help students in our community who are in need of vision care. Proper vision care can have a significant impact on the lives of our children, and therefore we know that poor vision puts academic success at risk.”

Jones, meanwhile, noted that 80 percent of what children learn is through their eyes. She also explained that up to 25 percent of school children may have vision issues, which often lead to life-long consequences.

Thus, in an effort to reduce and hopefully eliminate those statistics, Essilor Vision Foundation continues its Adopt-A-School Program and – as noted – teams with local eye care companies to overcome such potential problems.

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