Headwaters Area Lions Clubs Ophthalmology / Vision Care Project Description

Project objective
Vision care and/or treatment affect every family.  In 2005, this project was undertaken to allow local access and shorter waiting times to vision related medical equipment and procedures for patients with needs involving cataracts, glaucoma, diabetes and emergency vision situations. 

The proceeds generated were targeted toward the purchase of much-needed ophthalmology / vision care equipment to ensure the highest quality of vision care for the more than 110,000 men, women and children in the Headwaters Health Care Centre service area. 

This is truly an opportunity where local Lions Clubs responded to Helen Keller's 1925 challenge to become "knights of the blind in the crusade against darkness".

Project benefits
Prior to the project, patients were required to travel to other locations such as Brampton, Mississauga, Owen Sound and Toronto to receive this medical treatment.  In some situations, this involved travel distances in excess of 100 kilometers, which can often be very difficult to arrange, especially for elderly patients.  Eye care treatment at other medical facilities involved lengthy wait times.  For those with eye care medical needs, this project offered significant direct medical as well as quality of life benefits. 

This project also indirectly relieved waiting time pressures on those other existing medical treatment facilities and the patients still relying on them for medical treatment.

As with many of the smaller communities located in proximity to the Greater Toronto Area, our community is growing – and the demand for health care is growing along with it.  The Headwaters Health Care Centre medical service area is currently deemed under-serviced and our population is expected to almost double over the next 15-20 years.  Given the current recruitment challenges in almost every field of medical practice, our community is extremely fortunate to have the dedicated and committed expertise of Dr. Ray Seto.  Dr. Seto is a highly qualified and respected Ophthalmologist.  This project will support this medical expertise by providing the latest in high technology medical equipment necessary to ensure our community members will be able to attain, preserve and restore their best possible vision.
       
The Headwaters Area Lions Clubs have a long history of supporting local health care in our community.  Since 1985 the area Lions Clubs have raised $587,225 for Headwaters Health Care Centre, assisting in both building the new state-of-the-art acute-care facility that opened in 1997 and purchasing modern medical technology.

Our community deserves the basics and the best in eye care.   Local Lions Clubs again stepped up to demonstrate a commitment to providing the tools local medical professionals need to do the job.  This is the first such Lions Clubs joint fundraising initiative undertaken in this community.

Examples of the type of medical procedures to be made possible by this project include:
1. Removal of scar tissue and cloudy lenses for cataract patients
2. Relieving pressure on the eye and eliminating the need for drops for glaucoma patients
3. Repairs and vision restoration for diabetes patients with damaged retinal blood vessels
4. Repairs and vision restoration for patients with trauma injuries resulting in tears or detachment of the retina
5. Detecting damage and removal of small foreign objects entering the eye.    

Public Participation
1. The main fund raising initiative involved a car raffle on a 2006 Mustang GT.  

2. As well, the Lions Clubs accepted donations to the Headwaters Health Care Foundation, for which the donor was able to receive a tax receipt.  These gifts were designated to the Headwaters Area Lions Clubs Ophthalmology / Vision Care Project.  Persons, groups/organizations or businesses wishing to contribute via this option were able to contact any Lion or the Headwaters Health Care Foundation office.

The participating Lions Clubs and the Headwaters Health Care Centre wish to thank everyone who supported this fundraising project.

For more information on the winner of the 2006 Mustang GT... click here for details.

For a copy of the final project information release... click here for details.