Published On: September 15th, 2016|

The Toronto Star – Sheryl Ubelacker

“Angie Illerbrun had no idea her daughter Olivia was having trouble seeing until she had her own eyes checked and the optometrist suggested he take a look at the toddler’s eyes as well. While Olivia, then about age 2 ½, watched a cartoon in his exam room, Dr. Barry Thienes shone a light in her eyes. His verdict, recalled Illerbrun: her daughter had extremely bad eyes. “There was never even a clue that there was anything wrong,” said Illerbrun, a legal assistant in Shaunavon, Sask., southwest of Regina, who also helps work her mother’s farm outside town. “When she was little, she would watch TV like a normal kid. We would hand her a book and my husband would kind of tease her and put it upside-down, and she would turn it right-side up,” she said. “On the farm, she didn’t trip or walk into anything.” But it turned out seeing the world up close wasn’t the problem — it was making out objects at a distance. Olivia was nearsighted and had an astigmatism. She was initially prescribed glasses with a mild correction, which was progressively strengthened every six months until she reached age 6.”(more)