Sometimes , you don’t realize your child is struggling to see until someone helps you look a little closer.
For Vivian Habib, that moment came when the UC San Diego Shiley Eyemobile for Children visited her son Bryson’s Spring Valley Head Start preschool.
“We actually didn’t know that he needed glasses until last year,” said. During his first eye exam on the EyeMobile, she learned that one of his eyes was weaker than the other.
Once Bryson received his new glasses, she noticed an immediate difference.
“He really rubs his eyes when he doesn’t wear them,” she said. “But when he has his glasses on, there are no complaints.”
The Bigger Picture
In San Diego County, there are thousands of families just like Vivian’s. Dr. Rachel Lee, OD, an optometrist with the UCSD Shiley EyeMobile for Children, sees them every week.
“Access to eyecare can be very difficult for a lot of families,” Dr. Lee said. “Navigating insurance, finding an optometrist who will see kids that young – and the cost – it’s all a challenge for the families we serve.”
To help families navigate mounting pressures, San Diego Foundation (SDF) – together with Prebys Foundation, Price Philanthropies and the Price family – recently launched United for San Diego, a coordinated effort responding to significant federal cuts to food, housing and health programs.
As part of this initiative, SDF created the San Diego Unity Fund, which provides rapid, flexible support to nonprofits delivering essential services. The fund helps fill urgent gaps so families can continue accessing care, stability and basic needs as federal support declines.
A recent recipient of a $100,000 grant from the San Diego Unity Fund, the UC San Diego Shiley EyeMobile for Children brings free vision screenings, exams and glasses directly to local schools. The program supports more than 5,000 students across the San Diego region, ensuring families don’t have to travel or pay for essential eye care.
Amid shrinking federal funding for early childhood programs – cuts that have put more than 400,000 San Diego County families at risk of losing essential healthcare services – the UC San Diego Shiley EyeMobile’s work has never been more critical.
“Funding has been harder to attain and maintain in the last few years,” said Dr. Lee. “And, every year there’s more kids that we can help out.”
Despite waning funds and added pressure, her care for each student she helps keeps her going.
“I really have a soft spot for the young kids that we see,” said Dr. Lee. “I make it a goal for myself to make sure that they have a positive experience, and they like coming to the eye doctor.”
Helping Kids See Their Full Potential
For young children, clear vision is the foundation for how they learn, explore and understand the world around them. Nearly everything in a preschool or early elementary classroom depends on eyesight – including recognizing letters, following along during story time, reading facial expressions, identifying shapes and so much more.
The signs of vision trouble, though, are easy to miss. Kids don’t always know how to explain what they can’t see, and many assume the way they see the world is normal.
“At this age, vision is everything,” said Dr. Lee. “It’s a fundamental part of learning.”
Dr. Lee often thinks back to one child she worked with during her four years on the EyeMobile.
“We had a patient who was very shy, very to himself,” she said. “Come to find out he had a very, very high prescription. When he got his first pair of glasses, he opened up.”
Keeping Critical Services Within Reach
Today, the mobile vision clinic visits hundreds of schools each year, supporting children furthest from opportunity.
In recent years, the program has made it its mission to deliver nearly 900 pairs of prescription glasses to 20,000 students annually, ensuring that students who need vision care the most can access it, right where they learn.
For families like the Habibs, that impact is deeply personal.
“This has been very helpful,” said Vivian. “It’s a lot easier than taking him to a doctor since it’s already at his school, and we know the time they’re coming. It’s great.”
With his new glasses, Bryson can go to class with more confidence, more focus and a more vibrant view of the world around him.
As the EyeMobile continues to visit more schools and students each year, countless children, just like Bryson, will have the chance to see their own futures more clearly, too.
San Diego Foundation, together with Prebys Foundation, Price Philanthropies and the Price family, recently launched United for San Diego, a coordinated effort to help communities navigate deep federal cuts to food, housing and health programs. As part of this effort, San Diego Foundation created the San Diego Unity Fund to provide rapid, flexible support to nonprofits delivering essential services. The fund helps fill urgent gaps so families can continue accessing care, stability and basic needs while federal support declines.
