The annual Nice Eyes Optometrist competition ran from August 23 to October 21 this year and optometrist Maya Laxmidas and husband Brian were on the drive to create awareness about the importance of having your eyesight tested.
Of all the senses, eyesight is one few of us could live with and ocular diseases like glaucoma, Age-related Macular Degeneration, cataracts and bulging eyes are a few conditions which may lead the sufferer to become permanently blind.
During last year’s drive, Maya noted that there were many residents who lived with serious eye conditions which went untreated.
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A large number of people within the community have little to no access to medical aid and the huge backlogs at facilities like the St.
John Eye Hospital in nearby Soweto meant that there were hordes of people whose conditions were left untreated. The elderly and young school learners bear the brunt of this and their eyesight deteriorates badly over such long periods of time.
Local broadcaster, EldosFM, Nice Eyes Optometrist and Independent Optical Laboratories at the Crystal Mall in Extension Six, have added their pull and initiated the competition last year.
With many grateful recipients of the comprehensive eye examination receiving their glasses last year, the competition was run along similar lines this year.
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All the contestants need to do was send a WhatsApp voice note to Eldos FM explaining their need for glasses and be between the ages of six and 20 years of age, or 60 years and older.
To be eligible, entrants needed to submit documentation proving that they were unable to pay for medical treatment and winners were selected based on the best quality entry and who adhered to the stipulations set out by EldosFM and Nice Eyes Optometrists.
The person requiring the glasses was required to submit the voice note. Winners were announced on air and the glasses were handed out on November 3.
The oldest person to receive a pair of brand-new spectacles was 89-year-old Ouma Dulcie who was grateful for the opportunity to have her failing sight restored.
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