On April 29, 2023, the RMU Optometry School in collaboration with Special Olympics Utah, Friends for Sight, and Essilor, hosted a sight-giving event at Tse’Bii’Nidzisgai Elementary School in Monument Valley, Utah, which serves the Navajo Nation. Adam Hickenbotham, OD, MPH, PhD, Dr. Joshua Pratt, OD, PhD, Dr. Court Wilkins, OD, FAAO, MHS, and their families represented RMU at the event, providing eye health services to the local community.
The event focused on providing eye care services for the participants. More than 130 patients, ranging in age from 2 to 93 years old, received eye examinations. The RMU Optometry team set up three eye exam lanes and a glasses dispensary in the school cafeteria. Generous donations of new frames were made to the project, and Essilor, a company specializing in vision care products, arranged for one of their labs to fabricate the glasses. Once ready, the glasses will be sent to a designated point of contact in Monument Valley for distribution to all the patients.
For many of the individuals who attended, this was their first eye examination. The sight-giving event aimed to improve their vision, benefiting their educational, occupational, and daily activities. The event was seen as a mission of hope, bringing the gift of sight to those in need. The organizers expressed their gratitude for being a part of such a meaningful event.
Additionally, a partnership is being formed to provide regular care for the Navajo Nation population. The RMU team hopes to involve as many programs as possible at RMU to provide clinical care for those in need. For further information, contact Dr. Court Wilkins at court.wilkins@rm.edu.
