HAMLET — Ann Wheeler hopes she and the rest of the Hamlet Lions Club can help bring sight to the legally blind.
On Monday, members will be hosting vision evaluations, at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., for eSight glasses at the club, located at the Richmond County Fairgrounds.
The special electronic glasses capture high-quality video and display it on high-resolution screens in front of each eye, according to the eSight website. The footage is also enhanced specifically for the visually impaired.
“It just gives you chills what these glasses can do,” said Wheeler who is first vice president of the club.
One person who has benefited from the technology, Dr. Mary Sedgewick of Asheville, will also be there.
Sedgewick was a fourth-year medical student when her vision started to deteriorate in 1997, according to her testimonial on the eSight website. She became legally blind in 2003 and, for a time, lost all of her sight.
A year ago, Sedgewick tried out the eSight glasses at a Lions Club convention.
“There are no words to describe how I felt when I saw the face of my beloved family and friends and the beautiful, soulful eyes of Lucy (her guide dog) for the first time!” she said. “My heart has been flowing over since that moment, and my mind has been exploding with the potential the future holds.”
When thinking of future technology, Wheeler said she hopes one day there will be a device that can transfer images directly to the brain.
“Won’t that be a miracle?” she asked.
Wheeler said there will be visually impaired people coming from all over the Sandhills to see if the technology can work for them, adding that those with certain optical ailments will not be able to benefit.
“Maybe for the few we can help,” she said, “this will be worth it.”
For more information, call Wheeler at 910-331-3367.