CHULA VISTA, Calif. (KGTV) — The first time Carmine Barva put on his glasses, he stared in wonder at the world around him. He then smiled and jumped into his mother's arms.
"I was in disbelief," says Ashley Barva, Carmine's mom. "It was like he was literally seeing the world for the first time."
And it may never have happened, if not for a visit to Carmine's school by the Shiley Eyemobile.
"We had no idea anything was wrong until the screening at the school," Barva says. "He could hit a baseball, he could hit a golf ball, he was super-athletic. So the hand-eye coordination was there. There was just no indication other than he always wanted to read very close to his face. But I just thought it was because he was really into the books."
Carmine was one of the thousands of students the Shiley Eyemobile screens every year. It's a program run through the UC San Diego Shiley Eye Institute to help families in underserved communities get the eye care they need.
In Carmine's case, the need was exceptional. He now has a +9.5 prescription pair of glasses.
"He was at risk of developing a lazy eye in both eyes if it would have continued untreated," Barva says. "So we're so, so grateful for the screening and the help."
Now, Barva says her son is less shy than before, and more engaged with the world around him.
"To see him really looking at pictures and pointing things out, it makes story time more enjoyable than it used to be," she says.
"He would always point out helicopters and planes when he would hear them," Barva explains. "But now we can tell he's actually tracking them and can see them."
It's why her family believes in the Eyemobile's mission. She hopes every child that needs eye care can get it, no matter the obstacle.
"There are so many kids in so many underserved communities," she says. "There are kids like my son who would have fallen through the cracks had we not known. And now we know to stay on top of his vision health, so it's awesome."
ABC 10News has partnered with the UC San Diego Shiley Eye Institute to raise money for the Eyemobile and help more kids see the world. Our goal is to raise $20,000 in 20 days for 20/20 vision.
If you'd like to donate, click here.
