North Carolina Newspapers

Thursday, January 20. 1963 Helping The 'Blind 1 See Is Mali Goal Os The Low Vision Program By Kathy Bartlett CHAPEL HlLL—Alice Adams is legally blind, but she can read a newspaper. So many other “Mind” peo ple if they have prescribed one of the many specialized lens systems developed by visual scientists. In fact, about 70 per cent of people labeled legally blind have some vision that can be substantially improved by corrective aids. Low vision is the focus of a specialized eye clinic operated by Dr. Howard Lewis, clinical assistant pro fessor in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, and located in N.C. Memorial Hospital. Each week, Lewis ex amines patients whose vision cannot be improved by medical or surgical means or by conventional eyeglasses. His job is to evaluate the ex tent of their vision impair ment and determine what type of low vision optical system and rehabilitation would be most appropriate. “We never say (tie, no mat ter how low a person’s vision is,” Lewis said. “Even a pa tient whose vision is as low a 20/1,000 often can read small column newsprint with a microscopic lens.” Alice Adams is one of Lewis’ success stories. Adams, a retired Army major from Southern Pines, came to Lewis after she began losing her sight in 1968 because of a rare retinal disorder called angiod streaks. She has no sight in her left eye but has been fitted with a telescopic lens, which enables her to make the most of the vision remaining in her right eye. “The principal thing I wanted to be able to do was read,” Adams said, “but I didn't want to get into Braille or talking books.” In addition to telescopic spectacles, Lewis fitted Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant can tall you... building a winning football team is Saving money is a good reasoni for^choosing -JimWalter as Y®“ r bujlderbut onmatiniM • touah lob Buildina a new home on your property, however, may there are more, many more excellent reasons. We want you to know all of them. thanvol thtokTllf you dhooMJimWalter as your We want to tell you about our custom-construction methods. We wantyou to builder Jim Walter offers a 10% annual percentage rata financing for his know about the Quality of materials that we II use. 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Bot 572 Hwj. 17 South Plkwi«: 3354252 Adams with a microscopic reading lensthat hadft* own built-in iQilaiination system. When bar Mato deteriorated beyond these capabilities, he introduced her to a video magnification system which could ealarge reading material up to 64 times. “We trysto determine what goals almost important to each patted." Lewis said. “By far, die most common need is td be able to read small-column newsprint.” Low vision patients can suf fer from a wide variety of eye disorders including tunnel vi sion, extremely hazy vision, night blindness and disorders that block out whole portions of the visual field. The moat common dpviees used to cor rect these; problems are microscopic lenses, telescopic lenses, high magnification bifocals, video magnification and specialized filters. Cynthia Mabe, a 28-year-old mother from Monroe, uses three different devices to maximize her vision. Lewis fitted her with prismatic, high magnification reading glasses, a hand-held telescope and specialized filters. “It’s been fabulous,” Mabe said. “I never thought I’d be able to see like this again. Now I can help my little girl with her reading.” Mabe’s visual aids cost $285 and were a Valentine's Day present from her family. She hopes the Lion’s Club will help her purchase a pair of astronomical telescopes mounted an eyeglasses, which will improve her vision twice as much. Motivation can be the key > difference between success i and failure in adapting to low vision devices, Lewis explained. Adams was : warned that her lenses would : not be attractive and, in fact, t she has found that they fre quently scare young children. : But being able to recognize I faces and dress herself is much more important than htr In addition, reading with a low vision aid often requires a person to look at one word, sometimes even one syllable, ata time. “You have to have an un told amount of patience,” ex plained Elizabeth Wilson, one of .Lewis' patients from Chapel Hill. “I feel like a child just learning how to pro nounce words, but at least now I can look up telephone numbers and read letters and the bate statement.” Low vision has been around as a medical specialty for 20 years, but the clinic at N.C. Memorial is the first for a hospital in the state. Lewis, an optometrist, has held his faculty position in the School of Medicine’s department of ophthalmology for three years. “Newer surgical techniques are preserving vision in eyes that are not too long ago would have been lost,” Lewis explained. “These patients, however, are often left with markedly reduced vision, which prevents them from performing tasks that the nor mally seeing person takes for granted. “Although reduced vision is not as disabling to patients as blindness, it must be dealt with if these people are to have a chance to be useful, productive human beings. Senior citizens may become much less a burden on socie ty if they are able to be in dependent, while in children, a successful education may depend upon access to low vi sion optical assistance.” “My whole life has turned around,” Adams wrote to Lewis using her new video magnification systems. “If it had not been for you, through the years, my whole outlook would have been most gloomy.” THE CHOWAN HERALD point of view BY BILL NIXON Uttar'* JMU: Nbatt. u Eden tor aathre. h vtct prnliait of Parker Brother* New* paper* of AhaaUe. Hi* catena appear* weekly hi a number •f that jrup'i pvhUcaUons. Though I don’t personally know the young couple, the story of their tragedy brought sadness to me. Their’s is a story worth telling. In order to protect their privacy, their names will not be mentioned. Like any young couple with their first child, their hearts were filled with gladness at the birth of a daughter. Their minds and thoughts were filled with the promise of the child’s life ahead. The routine six-month checkup brought the news. Their daughter is blind. Routine testing at a local hospital revealed though the child could distinguish light, the level of blindness is such that the term “legally” blind would apply. The couple could not believe it, especially the diagnosis tha there was little hope for improvement. As can be expected, there were questions of “why?”, and “How could this happen to us?” Why has'God allowed this to happen to us, and »- .oi of all, why has He done this to our child? “She’s only an in fan'., so small, so precious, whv her?” The pain of the parent’s can be understood. I can imagine my own feelings in such a situation, and their pain has caused me to realize how very lucky we are when we have children born that are healthy and “normal.” As the father of a most wonderful eight month-old daughter, I can especially relate to their feelings. At a time like this, words just aren’t enough. Only time and hope can erase the pain and the questions. There can be no real answer that will satisfy the question of “Why?” At times like these, it seems we usually turn to a strength much greater than that of fered by mortal man. Regardless of our religious beliefs, we seem to seek the guidance and direction of one more powerful than ourselves. I am reminded of an event in my life several years ago. Our family suffered a tragedy of our own when an 18 month old niece died of lukemia. We had the same questions asked by most in such situations. While there could be little satisfaction in the words of friends and relatives, the reasoning for her death as given by the minister during the funeral service has re mained with me all these years.. Regardless, as mentioned earlier, what our religious beliefs might be, most of us have hopes of a life somewhere that will be better than the one we know on this earth. We are taught that there is a place for us after death that is more beautiful than any thing or place we hr ve ever known. A place where there is no sadness or sorrow or pain or tragedy. A place where goodness reigns and all beings will live together forever and ever in peace and happiness. To many, this place is known as Heaven. And if Heaven is to be the perfect place to exist in eternity, then there must be children. To be sure, the sound of a child’s laughter is one of the most beautiful sounds ever. In order to make Heaven the place it is described, there must be children. So God, in His special way, selects cer- tain children to join Him there ! to make it complete. This is an explanation I can believe in. A slight deformity in life should not be considered a , disgrace or a tragedy. Often those that may be handi capped physically will develop and display greater awareness and abilities in life than those of us that are con sidered normal by our stan dards. In his book, the (Wisdom of Gibran), the author tells us. “Not all of us are enabled to see with our in- I ner eyes the great depths of life, and it is cruel to demand that the weak-sighted see the dim and the far.” To the blind child goes my hopes that sight can be restored. But should such not be so, then to the parents goes an offer of encouragement and a wish of strength in fac ing the years ahead. And last, a reminder that greatness does not come from physical strength, but from the depths of the heart. Have you hugged your child today? General Assembly Session Convened IN SESSION....The budget making edition of North Carolina’s General Assembly convened last week. The first bill to run the gamut and become law was House Bill 3, making the birthday of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. a recognized state holiday. Quick passage was required by the House on Thursday and the Senate on Friday if the bill was to be law for King’s birth day on Saturday, January 15th. The day was designated as a holiday, although a number of lawmakers required Continued On Page 7-B An unuMd twing set can turn a backyard into an ayaaora . . .uniats you hang flower baskets from tha frame, attach a bird feeder to tha overhead bar and plant climbing vines to irail up tha lags. A thing of beauty! [B . REALTOR W /yl eritageN mALTY/ 106 East King Street 482-2645 482-7147 ■ NEW LISTINGS I 2 BEDROOM HOME —ln town, L.R w/fireplace, I bath, eat-in-kitchen, screened porch, fenced in back I yard..... $30,000. INVESTMENT PROPERTY—3 Lots, 2 mobile homes, I partially furnished $16,500. MEXICO RD. —Attractive brick ranch, featuring 3 I Bedrooms, 2 baths, L.R. w/fireplace, Kit., Den, Garage, I fenced yard $49,900. | WATERFRONT—Seven wooded acres on the Chowan I River, secluded with tremendous view of the water. FIVE ACRES —On the Base Rd., perfect for small I business or home site. IN TOWN—Gracious two-story home in the historic I district, beautifully restored. MEXICO RD. lmmaculate brick ranch, 3 BR„ 2 I baths, L.R., D.R. Kitchen combo, sun porch, well land- I scaped yard. I SPACIOUS COUNTRY HOME —Lovely 1‘ 2 story with I privacy, 4 Bedrooms, 4 baths, L.R., Great Room I w/fireplace, util. Rm., recreation room, 2 car Garage I - assumable loan at 9%, dual heat pumps $92,000. CHARMING 1 YEAR OLD HOME 3 bedrooms, 2 I baths, large family room, utility room, workshop. Cen- I tral heat and air. $35,000. IN THE COUNTRY—2 bedroom home on an acre of I land, workshop. Central heat & air $32,000. EDEN STREET Lovely brick ranch, 4 BR., den I w/fireplace, L.R., kitchen, 2 full baths $68,900. I NEAR HANCOCK STATION—Home or mobile home I sites. 5 acre tract $3,700. I 6 acre tract $5,000 ARROWHEAD BEACH—New 2 bedroom house on 2 I lots $27,500. ARROWHEAD BEACH—Attractive 3 bedroom home, I living room, dining room, kitchen and bath. Situated on I 3 wooded lots * $19,500. I HISTORIC DISTRIC Charming U 2 story brick I home, L.R. w/fireplace, Den w/fireplace, 2 full baths. HICKORY LANE—Great Room, Kitchen with conve- I nient dining room, 3 bedroom, 2 baths, game room and I large yard $60,000. WATERFRONT Albemarle Sound, V 2 acre lot on I Bella Vista Drive $26,500. FOR RENT House and apartments. 8.5 ACRES WATERFRONT—With private boat basin, I secluded, rustic 3 Bedroom log home in idyllic setting 10% financing. HOME ON THE ALBEMARLE SOUND—Cape Col- I ony, 2 story brick, 3or 4 Bedrooms, L.R. with fireplace, 3 Family Room with fireplace, large deck, workshop. Cen tral heat and air $73,500. I FANTASTIC BUY!—Country Club area. Owner must sell. 4 BR, brick ranch. Over 2000 sq. ft , 1 2 acre fenced lot. Garage, family room with fireplace, per cent I assumption $62,500. CHOWAN BEACH-.»Qse on 2 lots. 2 BR. 1 bath, screened porch, 1 oVfuiiaing. Priced to sell. HISTORIC DISTRICT—LoveIy 2-story frame house. Large country kitchen, family dining room, 3 BR., 2 baths, 2 fireplaces. Reduced to $55,000. MORGAN PARK Lovely 3 BR brick ranch in I excellent condition, central heat and air, built-in, 9 I per cent assumption $65,000. NEAR TOWN—Attractive brick veneer home on Vi I acre wooded lot, 3 BR, LR, den, dining area, lVi baths. I 10 per cent APR owner financing $39,500 4 BEDROOM HOME On 2 acre lot. Convenient to I town, 2 full baths, LR, family room w-woodstove, I central air and oil furnace, 3 yrs. old, outbuildings. 10 I per cent APR owner financing $42,000. I BRICK HOME Three BD, 2 baths, large livingroom with fireplace, dining room, kitchen. Well insulated. Central heat and air. Two car garage and I workshop. 12 per cent owner financing $49,500. SMALL HOUSE IN COUNTRY—I year old. Price I reduced to $12,500. HISTORIC DISTRICT Spacious 2Vi story home I with large, beautifully landscaped yard, 6 bedrooms, 2 I full baths, 2 half baths, 2 car garage, workshop, guest I house, recreation room, waterview. I APARTMENT HOUSE Liood location in town, 5 I apartments. 3 lots $40,000. ALBEMARLE SOUND—Beautiful wooded lots over one acre in size on the water. Prices starting at an unbelieveable ««,000, INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY Apartment house with eight apartments. Excellent income in prime location. 9V» per cent assumption $85,000. PRICE REDUCED Log Cabin, beautiful inside and out. Large fireplace, 2 bedrooms and loft. Main tenance free, energy efficient $38,000. ACREAGE Three lovely acres in a choice i location, privacy. 12 per cent owner financing. SIO,OOO. I WATERFRONT Elegant home if! a spectacular I setting on the Albemarle Sound, featuring, foyer, great room, 3 or 4 bedrooms, Florida room, 2 full baths and 2 half baths. Hus 3 bdrm guest house, 1.l acres with I sandy beach. 12 per cent owner financing. COMMERCIAL I of highway frontage - lyyV*nt owner financing. I HISTORIC DlSTßlCT—Charming 4BD home with 2 I full fatlw, eat-in kitchen, formal dining room, LR, den, 1 and utility roam. Beautiful yard. Price reduced I .....$47,500. I Waterfront Lota Baug Harbor and Arrowhead. Other Lota and Avenge For Sale. Page 5-B