“Finally, I Don’t Have to Wear Glasses” – 10-Year-Old Carol Shares Her Myopia Treatment Experience at Eye Care Center LTD

By The Eye Care Center LTD Team

Carol is ten years old, full of energy, and – for the first time in her young life – going through her day without glasses. Her journey to clearer, glasses-free vision started right here at Eye Care Center LTD, and she wanted to share it with other families who might be in the same situation her family was.

Watch Carol’s Story (En Español)

Video is in Spanish. English transcript provided below.

Full English Transcript

Interviewer: What is your name, and how old are you?

Carol: My name is Carol and I am ten years old.

Interviewer: And what was your eye concern before coming to us?

Carol: My concern was that I always had to wear glasses because I couldn’t see clearly at certain distances.

Interviewer: And why did you choose our clinic?

Carol: We have already made several purchases of glasses here, so we have come before.

Interviewer: What treatments have you received here with us?

Carol: They are called contact lenses — or however you call them.

Interviewer: And can you share a little about your experience with that treatment?

Carol: At first, when I put them on, they stung a little, or I felt some discomfort. But then I kept getting used to them, and now it went away completely and I put them on really quickly.

Interviewer: How did you feel after the treatment?

Carol: Happy! Because finally — finally — I was able to stop wearing glasses.

Interviewer: And how did our services help you?

Carol: The service has helped me a lot with the treatment. Once I had an appointment with the doctor, he recommended that treatment and I said, well, if I can use it — and that is what caught my attention, that I didn’t have to wear glasses anymore.

Interviewer: And how did our team support you during the treatment?

Carol: Dr. Park has helped me mainly with understanding how the treatment is working and how my eyes are adjusting. And Miss Melanie has also helped me with the training — for when I put the lenses on for the first time.

Interviewer: And would you recommend us to others?

Carol: Yes! Because yes — they are very kind. I like them.

Transcripción Completa en Español

Entrevistador: ¿Cómo te llamas? ¿Y cuántos años tienes?

Carol: Yo me llamo Carol y tengo diez años.

Entrevistador: ¿Y cuál era tu preocupación ocular antes de venir con nosotros?

Carol: Mi preocupación ocular era que siempre usaba lentes por no mirar a ciertas distancias.

Entrevistador: ¿Y por qué es que elegiste nuestra clínica?

Carol: Aquí ya tenemos varias compras hechas de lentes. Ya hemos venido antes.

Entrevistador: ¿Qué tratamientos has recibido aquí con nosotros?

Carol: Se llaman lentes de contacto. O como ustedes lo conozcan.

Entrevistador: ¿Y puedes compartirnos un poco sobre tu experiencia con ese tratamiento?

Carol: Al principio, cuando me los ponía, como que me calaba o sentía una molestia, pero después me fui acostumbrando. Ya se me quitó y ahora nomás me los pongo muy rápido.

Entrevistador: ¿Cómo te sentiste después del tratamiento?

Carol: ¡Alegre! Porque por fin, por fin pude no usar lentes.

Entrevistador: ¿Y cómo le ayudaron nuestros servicios?

Carol: El servicio me ha ayudado mucho en el tratamiento. Una vez tuve una cita con un doctor, me recomendó ese tratamiento y dije pues sí lo puedo usar, y eso es lo que me llama la atención, que no tengo que usar lentes.

Entrevistador: ¿Y cómo la apoyó nuestro equipo durante el tratamiento?

Carol: El doctor Park me ha ayudado en lo principal, cómo está funcionando el tratamiento y cómo se están acomodando mis ojos. Y la señorita Melanie también me ha ayudado en el entrenamiento, cuando me puse los lentes por primera vez.

Entrevistador: ¿Y nos recomendarías a otros?

Carol: ¡Sí! Porque sí, porque son muy amables. Me caen bien.

From Glasses Every Day to Contact Lenses She Barely Thinks About

Carol came to Eye Care Center LTD the way many of our families do: they had already been coming in for glasses, they trusted the team, and when their child’s myopia started progressing, they were ready to take the next step. Carol had been nearsighted for years, relying on glasses to see clearly at a distance. Her family had been patients at our practice and felt comfortable asking about other options.

After a consultation with Dr. Quentin Park, O.D., the recommendation was orthokeratology: specially designed contact lenses worn overnight that gently reshape the cornea while sleeping, providing clear daytime vision without glasses or contacts. For a 10-year-old who wanted to move freely through her school day, sports, and everyday activities without worrying about glasses, the treatment was a natural fit.

Like most new ortho-k wearers, Carol experienced some initial discomfort when first inserting the lenses. That is completely normal and expected. The cornea is sensitive, and any new contact lens takes some adjustment. With practice, guidance, and encouragement from our team — particularly from staff member Melanie, who worked with Carol on proper insertion and removal technique — the discomfort faded quickly. Now, Carol says, she puts them in without a second thought.

The result: Carol goes through her entire day with clear, natural vision and no glasses. In her own words: “Finally, finally, I was able to stop wearing glasses.”

Why Ortho-K Is Especially Valuable for Children

Carol’s experience is exactly what orthokeratology myopia management is designed to deliver. Beyond the convenience of glasses-free daytime vision, ortho-k serves an even more important medical purpose for children like Carol: it actively slows the progression of myopia.

Myopia in children tends to worsen year after year if left unmanaged, and children who develop myopia early are at significantly higher risk of reaching high myopia levels by adulthood. High myopia carries serious long-term risks, including elevated likelihood of retinal detachment, glaucoma, cataracts, and macular degeneration. Ortho-k has been shown in multiple clinical studies to slow axial eye elongation — the underlying cause of worsening myopia — by up to 50% compared to standard glasses or soft contact lenses.

This is not just about clearer vision today. It is about protecting Carol’s eye health for life.

Learn more about our full myopia management program on our Myopia Management page and our specialized Pediatric Myopia Treatment program.

Serving Spanish-Speaking Families Across DuPage and Cook County

Carol’s interview was conducted entirely in Spanish, and that matters to us. Eye Care Center LTD serves a diverse community across our Addison, Burbank, and Willowbrook locations, and we are proud to provide comfortable, clear communication for Spanish-speaking families navigating eye care decisions for their children. If you or your family prefer to discuss your child’s vision care in Spanish, please let our team know when you call or schedule online.

Related reading:

• Ortho-K Lenses at Eye Care Center LTD
• Our Full Myopia Management Program
• Why Outdoor Time Matters for Your Child’s Myopia
• Low-Dose Atropine: Another Option for Slowing Myopia in Children