31/10/2025
"As a parent, if your child is struggling in similar ways, I highly recommend getting their eyes checked - not just with a standard test, but with someone who can look deeper. The results could truly be life-changing." A very special story this one, and one that highlights the impact sight can have on a child's development 💙
Back in 2018, my 9-year-old son Aiden was really struggling at school. He couldn’t stay on task, was easily distracted, and often disrupted his classmates, which sadly led to anger, fights, and difficulty making friends. Despite the school’s efforts, moving him next to the teacher, assigning a teacher aide, and countless visits to the principal’s office, nothing seemed to help. Standard ear and eye checks came back normal. By the end of the school year, Aiden had made no educational progress.
Then I heard about Jagrut Lallu from Rose Optometrists in Frankton, Hamilton. Jagrut specializes in identifying vision issues that don’t show up in a standard eye test and during our first visit, he immediately noticed something was wrong. He was actually excited to have caught it early! Aiden got his new glasses over the 2018/19 Christmas holidays, and the transformation since then has been amazing.
By early 2019, he was a completely different boy. He could stay focused, was catching up academically, and his teacher even said she expected him to be at or above his age level by the end of the year. His anger and frustration disappeared, and for the first time, he began to build and keep real friendships. At home, Aiden became a happy, contented kid again, and every visit to school was greeted with big smiles from both his teacher and principal.
I am beyond grateful for the professionalism and care of Jagrut and the friendly team at Rose Optometrists, who I’ve trusted for over 40 years. As a parent, if your child is struggling in similar ways, I highly recommend getting their eyes checked - not just with a standard test, but with someone who can look deeper. The results could truly be life-changing.
Update: Today, Aiden is in his third year at Saint John’s College, and this year he was recognised with a Certificate for Academic Excellence at the school’s Pasifika/Māori Awards 🌟
