Angie De La Cruz pictured at middle, with Congressman Pete Sessions at right and Dr. Eileen Birch, director of the Crystal Charity Ball Pediatric Vision Evaluation Center at left
Ursuline alumna Angie De La Cruz looks into your eyes when she talks to you.That’s because the University of Dallas senior is an intern at the Retina Foundation of the Southwest’s pediatric vision evaluation center.
De La Cruz assists with data collection and analysis for two studies to develop better treatment and earlier detection of children with amblyopia, also known as “lazy eye.” By using iPad games, De La Cruz works to determine if children with lazy eye recover better than children who have been treated with medicated eye drops to even out the vision in their “stronger” other eye.
Lazy eye affects more than 1 million children 5 and under who see blurred vision out of one eye, so their brain only processes the clearer image from the other.
The Crystal Charity Ball Pediatric Vision Evaluation Center provides testing for up to 2,000 children a year for free.
As a part of De La Cruz’s ExxonMobil Community Summer Jobs Program, De La Cruz also conducts free vision testing for children and their families.
The biology senior plans to pursue medical school post-graduation.
