Kathy Jones, Sales Representative for PediaVision of Lake Mary, Fla., visited the Columbus Lions Club when she was in the area recently.

PediaVision designs, manufactures and sells the revolutionary “Spot” Camera.

Spot is a breakthrough device that quickly and easily detects vision issues across all age groups. Spot helps ensure children have an opportunity to reach their full potential.

“PediaVision is a vision screening technology that is effective for screening kids of any age, especially pre-verbal children because the screening is conducted from three feet away, so it’s as simple as taking a picture of the child. However, this sophisticated technology actually measures myopia (near sightedness), hyperopia (far sightedness), anisometropia (unequal refractive power), astigmatism (blurred vision/eye structure problem) and anisocoria (pupil size deviations)—much more than a Pediatrician is capable of measuring with the tools they have today.” — from the PediaVision website.

The Columbus Lions recently screened 56 pre-school children from Polk County Schools, generating 10 referrals to an eye care professional. Since the Columbus Lions do not as yet have a Spot camera, and the district in Upstate South Carolina does, they had to “borrow” Taylors, S.C. Lion Donna Henson and their camera for a few hours.

Polk County Schools Health Director Kathy Harding, local eye care professionals Dr. Perraut and Dr. Edney (who attended the Lions meeting demonstrating the camera), and Columbus Lions are enthusiastic about this new technology.

The Columbus Lions Club has launched a fund drive to obtain a “Spot” camera for use in screening people of all ages, but primarily for pre-school children where the demonstrated need is greatest.

The price of the Spot camera and associated printer has come down to some $7,000 from $10,000 when Columbus Lions first heard of it.

If you would like to help the Lions help little children and others to see better, send your check made to NCLI-Columbus Lions Club, to P. O. Box 121, Columbus, NC 28722.

Your contribution is deductible under Section 501c3 of the IRS code. For more information, call Fran Goodwin at 828-894-2505.

– article submitted by Garland Goodwin