MAT-SU — Like most 2-year-olds, Eli Whitworth lives with wide-eyed curiosity. Thanks in part to the Palmer Lions Club, the Wasilla youngster can vividly see the world around him.

With the aid of eyeglasses, Whitworth can see clearly and has a passion for learning, but that wasn’t always so for the toddler. Prior to a simple eye test that recommended Whitworth be seen by a doctor, nobody was aware the child couldn’t see very well.

“He just never wanted to read books or watch TV or anything,” said Eli’s mother, Heidi Whitworth. “But within a week of getting glasses, he’s wanted to read everything. The difference has been amazing.”

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That difference began with Nelda Hotchkiss, a longtime Palmer Lions Club volunteer and Eli’s great-grandmother. After the local club obtained a new eye examination machine prior to the school year, she suggested Whitworth’s children take a test.

That test showed the eyes of Whitworth’s 3-year-old twins were in good shape, but Eli’s needed to be checked out.

“The doctor said that if he hadn’t have gotten (glasses), Eli would’ve had a lazy eye,” Heidi Whitworth said. “She also said that his vision could affect — was affecting — his learning.”

Now seeing Eli play and leaf through books with his glasses is a heartwarming experience for Hotchkiss, who volunteers Wednesday mornings with other Palmer Lions, taking the portable eye examination equipment to Valley schools.

On Feb. 4, the Lions were at Mat-Su Head Start, where 51 children were examined. Of those, five were referred to eye care professionals for follow-up examinations. Although the nearly 10 percent referral rate was a little high, overall since beginning the exams this school year, about 7 percent of the estimated 700 local children tested have been referred for follow-up care.

The club’s new equipment, which resembles the hand-held speed detection devices law enforcement uses, has exponentially increased the Lions’ ability to give quick, accurate exams, said Clyde Oberg, a 38-year club member.

Oberg has vision issues himself, but volunteers to help give examinations because he believes in the club’s mission to promote good vision. That commitment for the club began early on at the urging of Helen Keller, Oberg said.

In the Mat-Su Valley, the Palmer club has been doing eye check-ups since 1998, he said. But before this school year, those exams consisted of taking Polaroid photos of children’s eyes and sending them to a local doctor.

Now, children simply look into the device (which has a smiley face drawn on it) and within seconds, a computer program takes in data and determines whether the subject’s eyes are OK or if a follow-up should be encouraged.

“This is an entirely new system,” Oberg said. “Oh boy, this is fast, and probably a lot more accurate (than with the Polaroids).”

He also stressed that the examinations are not meant to take the place of regular eye checks by a doctor.

“Basically, this will just tell you they need to see one,” Oberg said. “Early detection is a big deal.”

It’s that early detection and a 10-year track record of the Palmer Lions Club doing eye exams for children that prompted the Mat-Su Health Foundation’s award of $6,684 to purchase the new equipment, said Elizabeth Ripley, the foundation’s executive president.

“This was really, in some ways, one of our ideal grants,” Ripley said. “It goes to prevention. We’re not treating the problem on the other end.”

While the foundation provides funding for local heath projects and initiatives, it’s the initiative of the Lions Club that deserves credit for testing hundreds of Valley children each school year, Ripley said.

“They have the phenomenal track record, and they’re all volunteers. It’s really all about the kids and the protection of their sight,” she said. “The real work is done by the Lions Club, the Lions volunteers. That’s the group that’s really making this thing  happen. ... We’re thrilled to be a very small part of that.”

At Head Start, children quietly lined up to have their screenings. A Lions Club volunteer smiles and cheerfully asks them to look at the smiley face. Behind the camera on a laptop computer, a black-and-white image of the subject’s eyes shows on the screen, and the software tells the operator when the test is completed, usually in seconds.

A sticker is then printed out saying the child’s eyes are OK or with a referral to see an eye care professional.

If a referral is suggested, the school nurse will also follow up with parents, according to club information about the program.

Although emphasis is on early detection of eye problems, the computerized screening system can be used on people ages 6 months to the elderly. In addition to local schools, Lions also offer free exams at health fairs and the Alaska State Fair.

For families like the Whitworths, the efforts of the Palmer Lions Club hit close to home.

“I’m very thankful,” Heidi Whitworth said. “It’s harmless. All they did was take a picture of their eyes.”

Although only 2, young Eli can tell the difference between being able to see well and not, she said.

“He loves his glasses,” she said. “He asks for his glasses now because he can tell that he needs them.”

Contact Greg Johnson at greg.johnson@frontiersman.com or 352-2269.