Healthier lives, brighter futures begin here
ARLINGTON PEDIATRIC CENTER FALL 2012 / WINTER 2013
Meet Daniela: The Gift of Clear Vision When optician Kate Giroux first examined Daniela, she was a shy patient from Arlington Pediatric Center in need of significant vision care. With Kate’s help, Daniela has become a more outgoing and energetic little girl. What made access to vision care so important for Daniela? She has a condition called albinism which causes vision impairments that require both special glasses and sunglasses to correct her vision. Kate provides vision care services to APC patients free of charge as well as corrective glasses, caring for three APC-referred patients per month. Medicaid offers limited coverage for vision services, and Daniela’s mother was unable to afford these large expenses. “Kate is a blessing for what she provides to Daniela,” said her mother, Sandra. Kate, President of Giroux Opticians, Inc., has been an optician in Arlington for almost 40 years, and first experienced children with significant, unmet healthcare needs through her work as a member of the Virginia Hospital Center Medical Brigade, traveling to Honduras as a team member. Kate explains, “Working with the children in Honduras was so rewarding. I cannot tell you how terrific it is to witness an 18-month-old child see her mother for the first time! I continue that joyful feeling through my work with the APC children.”
Optician Kate Giroux makes getting new glasses a reason to smile; pictured with patient, Daniela
Kate was born and raised in Arlington. Her father died when she was 9 years old, leaving her mother to provide all the basic necessities and healthcare. Kate witnessed her mother’s struggle firsthand. That experience left her with a strong belief in “paying it forward” to children in need. Good vision is a crucial building block to success in life, affecting every aspect of a child’s life, from learning to socializing, to their sense of physical and emotional security. Arlington Pediatric Center provides comprehensive outpatient medical care to children, ages 0 to 19, and works collaboratively with compassionate healthcare professionals, like Kate Giroux, to provide access to other healthcare services including vision care.
By the end of the appointment with Kate, Daniela was playing with toys and laughing about her bear with glasses. The gift of clear vision has made her a more confident little girl, a transformation that both she and her mother are grateful for. N
OUR MISSION Arlington Pediatric Center (APC) opened its doors in 2001 as a community benefit program of Virginia Hospital Center and provides quality, compassionate outpatient medical care to low-income and uninsured children living in Arlington County.