Photo submitted
The Vermilion Lions Club donated $5,000 which will be matched by Lions International for an ultra wide angle camera to the Alberta Eye Institute located at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton. The new camera will allow diagnosis, assessment and monitoring for an array of eye issues including traumas and emergencies, diabetic retinopathy, cataracts and ocular melanoma. “I wanted to help out as I was diagnosed with ocular melanoma in November of 2018. It is a very rare cancer with only six people in a million being diagnosed with it per year. As a result, people really don’t know about it and aren’t aware that it exists,” said Arielle Farkash. She went on to say that at that time, and at present the only wide angle camera in the province is in Calgary. Having had to travel there for a seven minute appointment, and working in health care as a nurse, she knows that many people don’t have the means and/or support to make those types of trips; especially when they are unexpected. “The eye institute at the Royal Alex is Vermilion’s closest eye institute and serves central and northern Alberta as well as other provinces so I wanted to help in any way I could to make this piece of equipment more accessible for anyone who may have the misfortune of needing it!” said Farkash. She worked with the grant writer with the Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation as a patient advocate for the Clarus 700 (ultra wide angle camera). They are still accepting donations, so if people would like to find out more or get information to donate they can contact her by emailing afarkash@outlook.com.