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Ophthalmic Professional

Article

Opening Lines

Technician's donation benefits patients of pediatric cancer

Ophthalmic Professional January 1, 2020 Vol 9, Issue January 2020 Page(s): 8

Wigs for Kids is a free service for pediatric cancer patients.

Kristy Hampton, a workup technician at St. Luke’s Cataract & Laser Institute, Tarpon Springs, FL, recently donated her hair to Wigs for Kids, a nonprofit organization providing free wigs to children who have gone through chemotherapy. In total, she donated 16.5 inches in four bundles, which took her about 18 months to grow. (This also coincides with her tenure at St. Luke’s.) This is the third such donation she has made.

“God has blessed me with hair that grows quicker than most, so the least I can do is give back to someone else in need,” Mrs. Hampton says. “I’ve always loved children, so this was the perfect opportunity to make someone smile, especially around the holidays!”

Mrs. Hampton will receive a card in the mail informing her who is the beneficiary of her donation.

There are a few stipulations to the donation process, which include that the hair should:

  • Be braided
  • Be dried
  • Be shampooed the previous night
  • Have no hair products in it

As a workup technician, Mrs. Hampton has a lot of interaction with patients. Her position includes facilitating testing and preparing them for the right-hand technician and the doctor. St. Luke’s is her first position in the eye-care industry, but it’s a career path she hopes to continue following, including achieving COA and COT certifications.

Mrs. Hampton says she plans to continue to donate her hair for as long as she’s able. And as for her new do: she’s loving it!

 

Kristy Hampton before (top) and after her donation (bottom).COURTESY OF KRISTY HAMPTON
Kristy Hampton before (top) and after her donation (bottom).COURTESY OF KRISTY HAMPTON

 

In Brief

NIDEK launched the YC-200 Ophthalmic YAG Laser System in the United States, as successors to the company’s YC-1800 laser. The company also launched the YC-200 s plus model, allowing for selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT).

Johnson & Johnson Vision launched the TECNIS Toric II 1-Piece IOL in the United States, the first product approved on the new TECNIS Toric II platform. The company will also launch two post-market clinical trials, conducted in up to 50 U.S. cities, to demonstrate rotational stability and visual outcomes.

CooperVision received FDA approval for its MiSight 1 day, a prescription contact lens indicated to slow the progression of myopia in children age 8 to 12. Studies have found MiSight 1 day to slow progression by up to 59%. The first FDA-approved myopia management contact lenses, MiSight 1 day is expected to be available in the United States in March 2020.

Bausch + Lomb introduced the enVista toric MX60ET hydrophobic acrylic intraocular lens (IOL). This lens utilizes StableFlex technology, which is intended to deliver enhanced optic recovery following delivery, the company says. Like the enVista toric MX60T, the MX60ET offers a range of cylinder powers as low as 1.25 D.

Eye Eco launched eyecloud, a moist heat therapy system designed to give dry eye patients sustained, relaxing relief. The eyecloud system was previously available in-office in the United States. It can now be used by patients at home. Eye Eco’s eyecloud uses reusable heat packs to provide 20 minutes of relief to the periocular region.

Horizon Therapeutics launched a website and Facebook community, “Listen to Your Eyes,” designed to provide education and support for people living with thyroid eye disease (TED). The website, www.ThyroidEyes.com , was made with guidance from the TED community. TED is a rare, progressive and vision-threatening autoimmune disease.

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