The Marcus Lions Club is collecting gently used shoes of all shapes, sizes, and functions as a fundraiser for specialized equipment that examines eye lenses of premature babies. Incubators for premature babies are oxygen rich environments. That much oxygen can damage the delicate optical development of babies. Several pieces of specialized equipment can be used to examine, assess and treat optic health of premature babies.
The Marcus Lions Club, part of Lions’ Club District 9, is contributing to the acquisition of specialized lenses used for screening premature infants’ eyes for problems associated with the oxygen enriched environment of the NICU. One examination tool used to halt a possible march to blindness for babies born before 30 weeks is called a Binocular Indirect Ophthalmosopy or BIO. A BIO is described as a specialized headlight or lens used to view the entire retina along with additional tools. The condition is Retinopathy of Prematurity or ROP. ROP causes as many as 500 infant cases of blindness in the United States annually and as many as 50,000 world wide. ROP is the overgrowth of blood vessels in the retina. It can be treated using a variety of techniques including medications, laser therapy or advanced retinal surgeries. The cost of each BIO is between $15,000 and $20,000.
Helen Keller’s request of the Lions in 1925 was to become Knights of the Blind in her crusade against darkness. We are answering that call.
Our collection boxes (with Soles for Souls signs on them) are located at several places in the community, among them the Post Office or Jeff’s Foods. Additional locations will be announced as they are confirmed. So, clean out your closets. This is an ongoing program to purchase equipment that protects eyesight for preemies at St. Luke’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in Sioux City. For questions contact a Marcus Lions member or call Dan Ohlendorf at 712-305-1606.