Alejandra has been on a journey of discovery and one that resulted in a beautiful transformation of her young life.
For an active, intelligent and successful student who always liked to perform well in school, it was a matter of concern when, at the age of ten, Alejandra’s class performance started declining.
She said she couldn’t understand why she had problems reading words from the school board and had to depend on other students for help. Recognizing people and signs from a distance was another problem she started having.
“Fear,” she said, is the only word that comes to her mind when Alejandra was asked how she felt. Over time the fear started to turn into distress, and she began to develop the habit of putting her head in her hands and resting like that for a long time – it all seemed to be too much.
Her concerned parents looked for a solution to the difficulty their daughter was experiencing. After having a long discussion with Alejandra’s teachers, they all agreed she was having great trouble seeing well. Unfortunately, eye care services are expensive and not close to Alejandra’s town community.
Together they looked for ways to help Alejandra feel better and be able to continue to join in regular school classes. She sat close to the school board which seemed to help some, but by the afternoon she would resort to holding her head in her hands. Her teacher was sad to see her stop playing school yard games.
Luckily, the following year Alejandra’s school was invited to participate in a school screening program implemented by Ver Bien, supported by funding partner Optometry Giving Sight.
Having a comprehensive eye examination and the correctly prescribed glasses has helped Alejandra greatly improve the quality of her life and allowed her youthful ambitions to open up again. She mentioned her dreams returning.
“My life is easy now,” Alejandra said happily. “I can see all my friends walking to school, so I feel part of life again. And I can see the school board and play catch again, my favorite lunch recess game.”