LM Times Oct 7 2019

6 Last Mountain Times • Monday, October 7, 2019 • lmtimes.ca
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Anna’s Vision
A charity founded to help children learn through vision
In Saskatchewan, children under the age of 18 are
covered for one eye exam per year through regular Sask
Health benefits, however if your child requires glasses,
this cost will have to be paid out of your pocket if you do
not have supplementary health coverage. According to
the Saskatchewan Association of Optometrists, school
children aged 6 to 19 years should undergo an eye examination
annually and preschool children should undergo
at least one eye examination between the ages of 2 and 5 years. Children’s eyesight
can change rapidly, therefore the cost of buying and replacing glasses can
quickly become out of reach for many families.
Anna’s Vision, a charity that provides full eye exams and eyewear (when
needed) to homeless and underprivileged children, teens and young adults, was
developed in 2010 by Optometrist Dr. Diana Monea. In 2011 the program was
extended to assist Mother Teresa Middle School in Regina, SK and to provide
the same service to unwed mothers in school with the underlying principal that
to learn you must see. The charity is named in memory of her mother Anna.
“She was like a nurse practitioner in the farming area that I grew up in in
Southern Saskatchewan, near Kildeer,” Dr. Monea explained. “Our door was
always open for helping those who were in need and the belief that mom taught
her five kids was: work hard, give back, and if you see someone in need and you
can help because you can, you must!”
‘Giving back and caring, making a difference when you can’ is Dr. Monea’s
philosophy in her charity work and through her clinics with locations in Regina
and Calgary. She does not agree with bureaucratic red tape, therefore children
do not need a referral to take part in the Anna’s Vision program. “Children cannot
wait through a backlog of paperwork in order to be able to see,” Dr. Monea
explains, “I don’t want to have a child refused eye care when seeing is learning.”
Dr. Monea says that 80% of a child’s learning is though vision but unfortunately
only 16% of Canadian children have their eyes examined annually.
“Many families, especially the working poor, cannot afford the cost involved in
purchasing eyewear,” Dr. Monea says, “I believe every child deserves the chance
to see!”
Eye exams and frames are donated to underprivileged children by Dr. Monea’s
clinics, Eye Health Centres, and lenses are provided by Essilor Canada. “Essilor
has teamed up with us to help children so every child, teen and young adult can
receive excellent quality lenses!” says Dr. Monea.
With so many homeless and working poor in our province it is essential that
a charity such as Anna’s Vision exists to help children and young adults get
the eyewear they need to be able to function properly in school. Anna’s Vision
accepts monetary donations to help cover some of the costs associated with the
frames so if you would like to donate or if you are a family in need please contact
Dr. Monea directly at dr.dmonea@gmail.com or see her advertisement in our
business directory for more contact information.
-submitted by Bobbi-Lynne McGarry
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