Prevent Blindness America Vision Learning Center
   
   
Eye Problems in Adults and Children
Taking Care of Your Sight
The Eye and How We See
 

A Kid's Story
by Hannah Kopach



When I was little I didn't like wearing the patch, but one day my mom told me that wearing the patch helps your eye get stronger and makes it work better. After I was done wearing my patch I was very happy and now my eye is working much better. Dr. Leonard helped me a lot, too. I was nervous when I had to go to the doctor. I had to go sit in a big chair and have the doctor shine a big light in my eyes. Dr. Leonard used to call me names like "Pumpkin," "Tootsie" and "Pooh Bear" to make me feel better.

When I see a kid with a patch on, I always try to tell her that she's doing a good job. I know how hard it is to wear a patch - I wore one for up to eight hours a day for almost four years. i used to stare at the clock until I was done! Sometimes I would cry and I would have to put another patch on. I used to take tests with my mom to see how my eye was doing, like standing in the living room while she showed me letters in the kitchen. Sometimes the letters were fuzzy, but sometimes I could see them.

One thing that helped me the most was being in the "Eye Patch Club." There was a dog named Patch and he would send me letters and a calendar. If I filled up the month with stickers, I would get to go to the toy store and pick out one toy. Once I got to first grade, I stopped wearing the patch because I needed both eyes to read.

I went to the glasses store last month to pick out new glasses, and the lady said, "I've never seen anybody so excited to get new glasses!"

I don't mind wearing them, and I am glad that I can see so well now. Thanks to my doctor and all the patching, my lazy eye isn't so lazy anymore.


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