Newsroom: True Stories/Grant Award Profiles

• Read another Quality of Life grant profile.
• Read a profile about the new Seeds of Life grant.
• "A Place to Call Home:" Quality of Life grant profile
  

Foundation Knights Help Others to See Clearly

More than 18,000 MDRT members generously have given to the MDRT Foundation since its inception in 1959. This money has gone to a variety of organizations dedicated to making a difference in the lives of people worldwide. In 2001, the Foundation used the funds thoughtfully given by its Knights to help many worthy causes. Here are two stories of worthy organizations that, thanks to the Foundation and its Knights, were able to help those in need.

I Care San Antonio

A young ICSA patient admires her new glasses

I Care San Antonio (ICSA), San Antonio, Texas, provides eye care for the homeless, underprivileged children and other under-served populations in southern Texas and in Mexico. ICSA volunteers have examined 80,577 patients, dispensed 58,255 prescription eyeglasses and performed 4,799 eye surgeries since it was established in 1992.

In 2001, ICSA received a $4,000 Regional/Local Grant from the MDRT Foundation. These funds were used to set up a clinic in downtown San Antonio, and to purchase a phoroptor, a device that measures the refractive error in a patient's eyes and determines the exact measurements needed to fit glasses properly.

"Because of your donation, we have been able to set up an eye clinic in downtown San Antonio," said Doug Radcliffe, CFP, ICSA president and nine-year MDRT member from San Antonio. Radcliffe, who sponsored the organization's grant, points out that some of the children visiting the clinic have such poor vision they can't even see the blackboard at school. All of them eventually receive eyeglasses, school supplies and backpacks.

"It is only through the generosity of fine organizations, such as the MDRT Foundation, that we are able to provide these services," continued Radcliffe.

By providing this additional phoroptor, the resource staff at the eye care clinic was able to examine and assess more patients. This valuable equipment is expected to last for 20 years.

ICSA has a proven record of success and continues to accept requests for additional services and recruit volunteers for each project. The list of contributors of lenses and glasses, services and supplies continues to grow, as does the number of financial supporters. The MDRT Foundation is proud to be a part of this list.

Sight Savers of Alabama

Loveday uses her CCTV to do homework

Sight Savers of Alabama provides eye care to children in Alabama's low-income households and provides support for vision research. Although other organizations in the state treat the visually impaired, Sight Savers is the only organization in Alabama focused on identifying children whose visual impairments have been overlooked or neglected. Once these children are identified, Sight Savers ensures these children obtain the appropriate initial treatment and follow-up treatment in a timely manner.

It is this active intervention that allows these children to achieve the clearest vision medically possible and avoid the learning difficulties and social handicaps often associated with the lack of proper eye care.

Sponsored by Foundation Bronze Knight and 35-year MDRT member William E. Burrus of Birmingham, Alabama, the grant application requested funds for the organization's low-vision program. This program provides visual-aid equipment to legally blind children from low-income households.

Burrus, a board member of Sight Savers, donates approximately 20 hours a week to the organization. He has worked on fund-raising golf tournaments, raised money in the business community and was instrumental in securing a lab dedicated to eye research.

"It is not an exaggeration to state that the help provided by Bill Burrus over the past year not only saved Sight Savers of Alabama, but allowed us to grow in a significant manner," said Sight Saver Executive Director Jeffrey L. Haddox.

Hundreds of children from low-income homes have received vision screenings, examinations, glasses and visual-aid equipment for the legally blind over the last year.

The $2,500 Quality of Life Grant given to Sight Savers was used to purchase a closed-circuit television (CCTV) for Brandy Loveday. The CCTV, a video magnification system, enlarges text and type so that Loveday, who is 13 and legally blind, is able to see it. Loveday had no visual-aid equipment in her home until now.

"Brandy is now better able to keep pace with her classmates using her CCTV for homework," said Haddox. "She has become much more self-motivated and independent. I thank you for helping Brandy."