Restore a Child’s Sight

Children’s vision is very easy to overlook. A child may not say that they see things unclearly. They may move closer to a book, squint, get tired quickly, avoid reading or drawing – and adults may not immediately understand that the reason is not inattention, not mood, not character. The world has simply become blurred for them.

In young children, newborns, children with neurological conditions, or those who are afraid of doctors, vision problems are especially easy to miss. They cannot always explain what exactly they see differently. They cannot always follow instructions during a standard examination. They cannot always sit still for a long time in front of a device. But for them, early diagnosis is crucial.

Because in pediatric ophthalmology, time matters greatly. There are vision disorders that can be corrected in time if the problem is detected early. But if this moment is missed, a child may live with the consequences for the rest of their life.

Every year, between 3,000 and 4,000 children pass through the ophthalmology office of the Children’s Diagnostic Center at St. Nicholas Children’s Hospital. Among them are children under the age of five, newborns, and children with neurological conditions. Those who are difficult to examine using a standard method. Those who cannot complain. Those who cannot "cooperate" with the doctor. Those who cannot explain that they see unclearly. It is in this group that the most serious cases are often hidden: amblyopia, or "lazy eye", detected too late; myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism identified late. In ophthalmology, there is the concept of a “golden period” for treatment. If it is missed, vision may deteriorate permanently.

Previously, the Children’s Diagnostic Center had a portable refractometer that allowed doctors to perform fast, objective vision screening for the youngest patients. It has now completely broken down. The hospital is currently unable to replace it on its own.

The V100 ophthalmic refractometer is a portable device that a doctor holds in their hands. A child does not have to sit still, look into the device, or follow commands. The doctor simply points the device from a distance of about one meter, and in about a second it automatically determines the main parameters of refraction: sphere, cylinder, and axis.

This means that even a baby from six months old can be examined. A child with neurological conditions. A child who is afraid of hospitals. A child who cannot sit still. Everything that today takes an ordinary ophthalmologist twenty or thirty minutes of talking, persuading, and partial results, the V100 does in a minute.

With this device, the department will be able to examine 30 or 40% more children. To visit schools, kindergartens, and communities with outreach screening. To conduct examinations for children from remote villages, whom a doctor currently simply cannot reach. According to preliminary estimates, this means 5,000 to 6,000 examined children per year. Between 1,500 and 2,500 of them will be referred in time for full diagnostics and vision correction.

We are raising funds for one V100 ophthalmic refractometer for the Children’s Diagnostic Center at St. Nicholas Children’s Hospital in Lviv. One device. Thousands of children every year. And a clear opportunity to detect vision disorders at a time when they can still be corrected.

Join us! Let’s help children see the world more clearly.