RETIRED ARTIST KEEPS HIS SIGHT

Support of Friends Like You Helped Earl Continue to Experience the World Around Him

To Earl Krentzin spent his life in the visual arts. As far back as the 1950s, Earl was known for his creative vision that brought to life sculptures and other functional objects such as bowls and boxes. His style combined contemporary and classic into beautiful metalwork pieces. He was especially known for what he called his “Silverlings,” miniature narratives fabricated from sterling silver.

 
As you can imagine, Earl’s eyesight has always been precious to him. Not only did he use it to create his own art, but also to experience art and the world around him through an artist’s eye. 

About 15 years ago, severe arthritis made it impossible for Earl to continue making art. But that didn’t stop him from enjoying the world around him.  He still enjoyed seeing and reading about art, and his crossword puzzles.

But about two years ago, Earl discovered he had Macular Degeneration. His precious eyesight was threatened. 
His doctor suggested a medication that would help slow or even stop the progression of the disease. Of course Earl wanted to try it. But then came the bad news: This medication would cost him around $1,000 out of pocket for each dose. This was more than this 86-year-old retired artist could afford on his limited income. 

Thankfully, “My doctor, who is a retina specialist, told me about Good Days.” 

Earl’s doctor contacted Good Days and asked them to send him an application for assistance. 

“I filled out the application and then was approved,” he shares. The assistance Earl is receiving from Good Days covers the expensive out-of-pocket cost of his injection medication, but more importantly, allows him to continue enjoying life.

“Without these injections, I would be losing my eyesight,” Earl shares. “The use of my eyes is still as important as it was in my creative years.” 
Earl wrote a letter to thank Good Days for our support, but he also has a message for you. 

“It’s an important thing you’re doing by supporting [Good Days]. Eyesight is so important. I’m so grateful for your support,” Earl says.

And so are we. Thank you for helping improve and change lives every day by giving to Good Days!

TIPS TO KEEP YOUR EYES HEALTHY

Since we just celebrated National Save Your Vision Month, let this serve as a reminder this spring not to take our eyesight for granted. Preventing eye disease is so important. Often, if you wait until you notice a problem, it can be too late. Luckily, there are plenty of simple things you can do each day to keep your sight in tip-top shape.

GET REGULAR EYE EXAMS
Adults, especially those over 40, should have yearly eye exams, particularly to prevent age-related ocular conditions including macular degeneration (the part of the retina that processes light deteriorates), cataracts (the lens of your eye becomes cloudy) and glaucoma (pressure in the eye damages the optic nerve). 

TELL YOUR EYE DOCTOR YOUR HEALTH HISTORY
Patients often don’t realize that there’s a connection between illnesses in the body and eye issues. Hypertension, blood pressure and diabetes can all be detected by looking in 
the back of the eye. That’s why it’s important to share your health history with your optometrist or ophthalmologist to help them determine what’s medically relevant.

CONTROL THE AIR QUALITY IN YOUR HOME
In the winter, the heating systems in homes create dry air. Consider using a portable humidifier to keep the air moist, which will help prevent eye irritation caused by dryness. If you have a pet, keeping their hair off areas where you sit or lie down, like couches and chairs, is important as well. Along with shedding dander, pets can also track in other irritants from outside that can cause inflammation in the eyes.

DRINK CAFFEINE—IN MODERATION 
Two servings of a caffeinated beverage daily are good for protecting against dry eyes (this helps us produce tears, which keep the eyes moist). But keep in mind that more than two servings can deplete your tear film and dry out your eyes, which can contribute to irritation. 

GIVE YOUR EYES A BREAK FROM ELECTRONIC SCREENS 
If you work in front of a computer screen, tablet or other electronic screen all day, use the 20-20-20 rule to let your eyes rest: Every 20 minutes, look 20 feet away or more for at least 20 seconds. It helps break the eyes’ constant strain of focusing from doing close work, like reading or looking at a computer monitor.

 
EAT LEAFY GREENS, DARK BERRIES AND COLD-WATER FISH 
Dark leafy greens like spinach, kale and Brussels sprouts, as well as dark berries, like blueberries and blackberries, are rich in lutein, a type of carotenoid that protects against macular degeneration, the leading cause of vision loss in people over 60. Foods rich in omega-3s, like walnuts and fresh cold-water fish, have been found to reduce inflammation in the blood vessels of the eye.

PROTECT YOUR EYES FROM THE SUN 
Every time you lather on sunscreen, think about shielding your eyes from the sun as well. A lifetime of UV light exposure can contribute to cataracts and macular degeneration, so always wear sunglasses with 100 percent UVA and UVB protection.

THE EYES HAVE IT!

Have Your Had Your Eye Exam This Year?

Eye examinations are an important part of maintaining your health. Adults should have their eyes tested to keep their prescriptions current and to check for early signs of eye disease. Children’s eye exams are important to ensure normal vision development and confirm that children have the vision skills required for schoolwork and other activities.

Most of us get our car serviced annually to make sure it runs smoothly. We also visit a dentist regularly to get our teeth cleaned. But how many of us get our eyes checked each year?

Many people wait until they notice a change in their vision to see a doctor. But eye problems are often silent – meaning they have no symptoms, and this can be dangerous to the person who is waiting to see a change.

During your exam, your eye doctor will look for eye muscle imbalance, vision disorders, and eye disease that could potentially cause future problems and affect your overall health.

IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY, SCHEDULE 
YOUR ANNUAL EYE EXAM TODAY AND HELP 
ENSURE YOUR FUTURE LOOKS BRIGHTER!

So please don’t wait until a street sign looks blurry, or you have trouble seeing objects close up. 

Because regular eye exams aren’t just important for your vision; they can also detect life-threatening conditions like a brain tumor and high cholesterol. 

If you haven’t already, schedule your annual eye exam today and help ensure your future looks brighter!

A LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 

I wanted to take a moment to let your know that 2016 is starting off great for Good Days- thanks in part to caring donors like you!

Every year we try to add to the services or kind of care we provide to our patients suffering from chronic diseases – with the ultimate goal of providing holistically for their needs. 

This year, we are focusing more efforts around increasing our relationships within the advocacy groups for the diseases that we support. Developing these relationships and partnerships will allow us to better serve our patient population. For example, by partnering with a group who specializes in advocating for certain types of cancer, we can offer our patients additional support that we may not have been able to provide in the past. 

Also our travel assistance programs continue to flourish. In fact, we have opened a couple new travel programs within the last six months. This travel assistance further addresses a common  need of our patients – it ensures that they can not only afford their medication, but that they have access to the therapy they need to manage  their disease. 

As I have shared before, as someone who suffers with a chronic disease myself, I know all too well that it affects every area of your life. That’s why I’m so passionate about closing the gaps to ensure that we provide a holistic approach to the care and services we provide.

The good news is that as more caring people like you join us in support, that gap will get smaller and smaller – and the future for our patients will look brighter!

Thank you for caring about people who are suffering from chronic diseases and doing what you can to help give them more Good Days!

Sincerely,

Clorinda Walley, Executive Director

Good Days