04/11/2026
This is why access to vision care matters.
“When Vision to Learn visited our building this year, a student was identified during an exam as needing follow-up with a pediatric ophthalmologist. The Vision to Learn provider noted multiple concerns, including the possibility of a condition that could lead to permanent vision loss.
The exam through Vision to Learn kickstarted a process in which the student was referred to a local pediatric ophthalmologist. As the school nurse, I coordinated the entire process, from scheduling the appointment, notifying the family, and arranging transportation. At the appointment, the student and family received some very difficult news: he required expedited surgery at Mayo Clinic to prevent him from going blind.
Without this surgery, he would have gone blind within a short period of time. Due to the social determinants of health affecting this family, obtaining a routine eye exam for their children would not likely ever have been considered. Without the Vision to Learn program at our school, the outcome for this wonderful young boy would have been dramatically different. When I reflect on my 23 years of nursing so far, this experience stands out as one of the most meaningful moments of my career, made possible by Vision to Learn.” - Melissa Keller, school nurse at Perkins Elementary
