by Moise Gashusho, 17, thought he was picking out some sunglasses on what was a normal Wednesday.
But when he reached the autorefraction station for a computer assessment of his vision, letters went missing. Things began to blur.
He got a little nervous as his eyes started blinking and watering.
“That’s when it kicked in. Maybe I do need glasses,” he said.
Gashusho was one of nearly 400 people to receive free eye exams and glasses at a three-day clinic hosted by Aetna, in partnership with the OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation. Held July 15-17 at the CVS Health Workforce Innovation and Talent Center on Avenue G, the clinic aimed to close the gap on what experts call one of the world’s most overlooked health issues: uncorrected vision, according to OneSight.
The clinic offered full exams and, in most cases, same-day prescription glasses, often a life-changing service in underserved communities.
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Patients came from Fort Worth Housing, Fort Worth ISD Paul Laurence Dunbar High School feeder schools, the Boys & Girls Clubs, AB Christian Learning Center and senior housing centers.
Zach Young, program manager for OneSight, said the events are held annually, but it was the organization’s first in Fort Worth.
After completing a series of pretests, patients sat with one of the four on-site optometrists. Depending on prescription strength, many walked away with a pair, while others will receive theirs in a few weeks.
Young enjoys getting to know the local communities he doesn’t normally visit. It feels good knowing the organization is making people’s lives better by giving someone their first pair of glasses, he said.
“Just seeing the smiles when they get their glasses and hearing their gratitude,” Young said.
Julianne Mele, director of communications for OneSight, said the clinic also raises awareness. What’s unique about the program is that it assists everybody, no matter what stage they’re at in life.
It’s recommended to get a full eye exam once per year, Mele said. Over 2 billion people around the world suffer from poor vision without access to basic treatment, according to Global Citizen and the World Health Organization.
From OneSite’s perspective, the event has two messages, Mele said: improve people’s lives and eradicate poor vision in a generation.
Brad Fischer, vice president of dental, vision and supplemental health for Aetna, said teaming up with organizations is important because it gives back to the community.
“The most special part of the event is distributing the glasses, which is the last step,” Fischer said. “You can see in action when somebody puts on those glasses, the vision change and improvement that they have, it’s really special.”
The event showed a lot of love and it felt like it was from their heart, Gashusho said. It’s helpful to those who don’t have access to affordable vision care and it financially helps residents, he said.
Gashusho now owns his first pair of glasses. He’s already thinking about how they’ll fit his personal style. Glasses make a statement.
“There’s something about people with glasses,” Gashusho said. “Look at Harry Potter. There’s a lot of great people and visionaries with glasses.”
Gashusho held his new frames and smiled.
“There’s just something about glasses,” he said.
Orlando Torres is a reporting fellow for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at
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