Will Help Educate Pediatric Population About Scleral Lenses
Needham, Mass. –March 7, 2023 – BostonSight®, a nonprofit eye healthcare organization that advances the treatment of diseased and damaged corneas and dry eyes, officially announced that Lensy, an animated scleral lens, will be its ambassador.
Daniel C. Brocks, MD, BostonSight’s Chief Medical Officer, drew Lensy for his young children to explain his work. His 2D drawing was transformed into a graphic and has been brought to life as a 3D plush toy.
Education is a core component of BostonSight’s mission, and Lensy’s goal is to assist in educating young patients about scleral lenses and PROSE® devices. A scleral lens or PROSE device is similar to a contact lens but rests on the white of the eye (the sclera) and vaults over the cornea. A scleral lens creates a new surface over the damaged or diseased cornea, and promotes improved vision and ocular health. Lensy is a quadrant-specific scleral lens, with lens applicators, known as plungers, for arms and legs. Her engaging smile and large eyes make her an exceptionally friendly tool for working with pediatric patients.
Lensy has slowly introduced herself to the scleral lens world. She attended BostonSight’s 2021 and 2022 FitAcademy™ for Residents retreats, the International Congress of Scleral Contacts (ICSC) in 2022, and the Global Specialty Lens Symposium (GSLS) in January of this year, where she made a lot of new friends, had her eyes “scanned” at sponsor booths, and “listened” to presentations. She has been warmly received by the eye care community, who look forward to Lensy helping introduce scleral lenses to their patients, especially in pediatric settings.
With input from Anna Maria Baglieri, OD, of Boston Children’s Hospital, who fits pediatric patients with scleral lenses, and Gail Windmueller, a Certified Child Life Specialist affiliated with Boston Children’s Hospital, BostonSight developed Lensy: A Scleral Lens Story, a picture book about the basics of scleral lenses. In the story, Lensy follows her friend, Sophie Sheep, who needs scleral lenses due to extremely dry eyes.
BostonSight is running a fundraising campaign called Give (or Get!) the Gift of Lensy. A limited number of Lensy plushies and printed books are available for donation to pediatric patients at PROSE Network sites via the campaign. To Give (or Get!) the Gift of Lensy, please go to https://www.bostonsight.org/patients/eye-conditions/pediatrics/. The book is also available for digital download at the link.
About BostonSight®
BostonSight is a nonprofit healthcare organization that advances the treatment of diseased or damaged corneas and dry eye. Our ongoing commitment to research and achieving optimal patient outcomes through innovative scleral lens design, education, and technology have saved the sight of thousands of people around the world. PROSE® is our medical treatment for the most severe or challenging ocular surface disease cases, delivered via specially trained eye care professionals at top tertiary eye centers. BostonSight SCLERAL® is our commercially available scleral lens used by optometrists worldwide. BostonSight SCLERAL has partnerships with Spectrum International in Latin America, L.V. Prasad Eye Institute in the Middle East and India, and Conóptica in Spain. Learn more at www.bostonsight.org.
Contact:
Michele Hart
BostonSight
(617) 669-4225
mhart@bostonsight.org