LVC4S Mentors Unite for Sight Fellow

Lehigh Valley Center for Sight is proud to serve as a mentor for Unite for Sight volunteers.  As part of her pre-departure training, Natalya Surmachevska, spent two days shadowing Dr. Mark Moran.  Natalya is a Global Impact Fellow for the nonprofit organization, and will be joining other Unite for Sight volunteers in Accra, Ghana.  Global Impact Fellows support and assist the local ophthalmologists, ophthalmic nurses, and optometrists to provide eye care for patients living in extreme poverty.

Unite For Sight supports eye clinics worldwide by investing human and financial resources in their social ventures to eliminate patient barriers to eye care. Unite For Sight applies best practices in eye care, global health, and social entrepreneurship to achieve their goal of high quality eye care for all.     In addition to being a leader in providing cost-effective care to the world's poorest people, our Global Health University develops and nurtures the next generation of global health leaders.

Volunteering has its Rewards

For LVC4S LASIK Coordinator, Bobbi Spain, Easton Area High School Class of 2013 graduation was extra special.  First of all, her daughter Alison, the youngest of her three children, was graduating.  Secondly, Bobbi was chosen by the students for the Class of 2013's Community Service Award.

Over the past 18 years Bobbi has been an active volunteer in the schools. She was PTA President at both Edward Tracy Elementary School and Easton Area High School.  She has also been a part of EAHS Post Prom Safe Night Event, which is attended by over 400 students annually.  She has also served on school district committees that focus on the health and safety of all students.

Bobbi feels as though this award recognizes the efforts of every parent who says "yes" when asked if they can help out at school.  Parents are needed at all levels of education, and the EASD administration welcomes parent involvement.

Bobbi was presented with an engraved clock by the Class of 2013.

Dr. Ahdieh Hits the Greens for Charity.

Dr. Houman Ahdieh attends the
Mortimer S. Schiff Golf Tournament.

Dr. Houman Ahdieh of the LVC4S recently participated in the annual Mortimer Schiff Memorial Golf Tournament.  Dr. Ahdieh was was also part of the organizing committee for this event, which is held in support of the annual campaign for the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley.  

Mortimer S. Schiff cared deeply about bringing together people of all backgrounds.  The theme of his memorial golf tournament is prejudice reduction. Mort, along with his wife Vera, taught those around him to be tolerant and accepting, to look for similarities, not differences.  This tournament, like the annual award for prejudice reduction established in his name, continues to unite and inspire. 

Lehigh Valley Center for Sight is proud to have been a sponsor of this charity event.  

A Service Project with Vision

It was a simple idea with big results.

Alison Spain with some of the donated glasses from EAHS.
 Alison is the daughter of  LVC4S LASIK Coordinator Bobbi Spain

As part of her National Honor Society Senior Service Project, Alison Spain, daughter of our Bobbi Spain collected used eyeglasses to donate to the Lions Club "Recycle Your Sight" program.   TheEaston Area High School Senior asked Dr. Mark Moran for collection boxes and sent out an email asking for donations of used eyeglasses.

In just two weeks, over 50 pairs of eyeglasses were dropped off in the collection boxes!  "I was surprised at how quickly the boxes filled up.  People were happy to donate their glasses, and having the box at school made it easy!"

Alison would like to see the collection continue at the high school next year.  She has passed the idea along to next year's EAHS students.  She hopes they will be able to place collection boxes in other schools in the district as well.  Since both teachers and students wear glasses, Alison sees schools as a great resource for the program.

Through the "Recycle Your Sight" program, the Lions Club will distribute these glasses to people in need in developing countries were they will have the greatest impact.

Back in the Day...

WHO AM I?  

This photo surfaced at our office the other day.  Rumor has it that this photo also appeared on the bulletin board at the Surgery Center of Allentown (SCOA).  Since all four of our surgeons, Drs. Ahdieh, Cherfas, Moran & Ross all perform surgery there, it must be one of them!  

A Mother's Gift

One of our recent LASIK patients told us a story that we wanted to share.  They say that hindsight is 20/20, in this case, a mother's foresight gave her daughter a gift of 20/20 vision.

One day after LASIK surgery, Dr. Moran, Stiliani and her
daughter Angelina.  Thanks to LASIK surgery, she can see just
how beautiful her daughter truly is!

When Stiliani was a little girl, they realized that she had poor vision.  Although she wore glasses, it was difficult to correct her sight to 20/20 due to a very high astigmatism.   The eye doctor told her mother that when Stiliani was older, she might be able to have LASIK surgery to permanently correct her eyes.

So her mom started saving so that her daughter could have LASIK when she was an adult. Each month she put a little money away for her daughter's procedure.  When Stiliani reached her 21st birthday, her mom surprised her with a the money needed to cover her LASIK procedure.  

Dr. Moran performed her LASIK surgery this past May.  One day later, Stilliani's eyesight was 20/20.  Before LASIK, even with her glasses, she hadn't been able to see fine detail.  After LASIK, her vision is sharper than it has ever been.   A proud mom herself, Stiliani said that she knew her 1-year-old daughter was pretty, but now she can see the details of how very beautiful she is!  We definitely agree!  

A Professor in our Midst...

Mark Moran, D.O.

Dr. Mark Moran recently achieved the status of Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Surgery, Division of Ophthalmic Surgery at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.  Dr. Moran has maintained close ties to PCOM, his alma mater, where he received his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree.

Patient education has always been a focus of Dr. Moran's career.  Educating future generations of doctors is important as well.  Lehigh Valley Center for Sight has a relationship with area hospitals and universities who send their residents, interns and students to learn and observe at our practice.
Dr. Moran has also served as a volunteer lecturer at local high schools and the Da Vinci Science Center.    

Congratulations to Dr. Moran on his new status as Clinical Associate Professor!