Examination of the empty socket showed the eye had been removed due to cancer of the eyeball. After a carefully stated conversation with the mother through an interpreter, I thought she realized we could be of no help.

After about an hour another optometrist wanted me to examine the glass eye. As the optometrist did not realize it was a glass eye. I was able to get the head of the Special Olympics Mexico to act as the interpreter to try to explain to the mother we were of little help. The mother emphatically explained there were doctors there from America and they can do anything.

It was once again explained we could not help her son to "see", but we were able to reassure the mother that there was no cancer remaining in either socket. I spent the next few minutes showing the mother how to clean the glass eye for her son.

This last October 2003, in Boise, Idaho, at the Special Olympic Fall Game the Idaho Optometric Association paired up to sponsor an eye screening.

There were 130 Special Olympic Athletes screened. Thirty-five pair of new glasses were dispensed and 5 athletes were referred for further evaluation. Two of the five athletes were referred because of glaucoma and the remaining three were referred for cataract surgery.

Only because of the funding provided by the Burley Lions Club was this event made possible. All of the Idaho Special Olympic Athletes would like to thank the Burley Lions Club for their generous donations.

(Story submitted by Lion Jack Zarybnisky, O.D.)