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Jan 24, 2009 10:28 pm US/Central
Officer Helps Nearsighted Girl Get Sports Goggles
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) ―
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"I can see the hoop. I couldn't see the hoop before, but I could now," said Olivia.
CBS
Officer Mike Frye has the look of someone who knows a thing or two about hoops. Through the Minneapolis Police Athletic League he works with children daily, teaching them the basics of basketball.
It is through the Police Athletic League program that one little girl's inability to see clearly caught the officer's eye. Third-grader Olivia DeLarosa is an "A" honor roll student who reads at a 5th grade level.
"You are looking for her, she is reading a book. That's what she likes to do," said her mother, Penny Middleton.
While reading came easy for Olivia, playing sports was almost impossible. Olivia is nearsighted and has astigmatism, so she couldn't see the basketball hoop and her family couldn't afford to buy her sports goggles.
It broke Frye's heart, so with the help of LensCrafters, he got Olivia what she needed most.
"She put the goggles on and goes, 'Mommy, look how far I can see!'" recalled Frye. "Wow, here is a little girl who has been reading with a book right up to her face when I first met her, and now she can really see."
"I got teary-eyed. I was really happy that she could see because it was almost like I was being able to see with her, what she was seeing," said Middleton.
With her new goggles, Olivia can now take on her twin brother in a game of hoops.
"I can see the hoop. I couldn't see the hoop before, but I could now," said Olivia.
"She can see, she can participate, she can do what she needs to do to be a productive, young lady," said Frye.
Olivia received three new pairs of glasses with the help of LensCrafters, and Frye and the Police Athletic League. Frye also drove Olivia to her eye doctor appointments.
Frye said his program is all about officers working with kids to teach them sports and to be mentors in their lives, and they do it all for free. In a lot of cases the officers use their own money to buy shirts and shoes for kids in the program.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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