To whom it may concern,
Jonathan Cohen; Kings Cross Eye Clinic
Last year, I realised that my 4-year old daughter, Hannah, had vision problems. I had noticed that she would put her face very close to books that we were looking at. I raised this with the nursery she was attending, and was told that I was concerned about nothing. They felt that what was more important was that her ability to persevere at things was not great, and that she was becoming disruptive; this was put down to behavioural issues.
Having only been in London for less than 2 years at that point, I was at a loss as to what to do. The optician that I’d been to for my own eyes seemed adequate (I have rather uncomplicated eyes and good vision), but I was concerned to find an optician that knew about children. I searched the Internet, and found the information for KCEC—particularly that Jonathan Cohen had an interest in paediatric optometry—and made an appointment. What particularly drew me was that the website explained how children’s eyes and vision are tested, and I felt that it was likely to give me a reliable diagnosis That first appointment has, literally, changed Hannah’s (and my) life.
We first saw Jonathan’s colleague Lucinda, who was excellent. She felt it important that Jonathan look at Hannah and confirm her views, and get a completely accurate diagnosis. Both Lucinda, and then Jonathan, were great. Hannah is quite a strong-minded girl, but they were patient and calm. It was a long and throrough test, involving high-tech equipment as well as special visuals for children. Hannah did get quite tired and difficult, but everyone remained patient and accommodating.
It was found that Hannah has quite severe astigmatism in both eyes, and that getting a diagnosis and correction early on was extremely important. For me the best part of this was that nobody was telling me I was being silly and imagining things. A whole lot of things now make sense; the fact that Hannah seemed not to recognise people unless they were talking to her; the very large handwriting she seemed to be developing. Instead of being told I was being silly, I was told that I had done an extremely important thing, that could make a big difference to my daughter’s vision through the rest of her life.
Everything–about the equipment, the diagnosis, and the impact—was explained to me, and I was treated as someone who could understand and be involved in my child’s eye health, rather than simply being told what to do. I felt that Jonathan was interested in the work, and talked directly about what he was doing while testing and diagnosing. For Hannah, the best part of this has been that she now can actually see. Her ‘disruptive’ behaviour has disappeared, and it is clear that she is a smart kid who can understand and do things. We had a second test 3 months later, which showed that her vision has improved. 6 months on now, and her reading is developing exceptionally well. Most importantly, she is a much happier child.
Following this positive experience my husband—who has worn spectacles since age 7—also came for an eye test. He was recommended high quality lenses and frames which he is extremely pleased with. Having visited many opticians through his life, his experience at KCEC was definitely one of the more positive ones. I also brought my son, Matthew, who is 3 1/2 for an eye test, which was conducted with the same mix of professionalism, calm, and friendliness.
We live and I work in South East London, but I will continue to travel to Kings Cross to take my family to KCEC because I absolutely believe that the quality of eyecare that we get there is worth the travel. While that is the most important aspect, it also comes with excellent service, friendliness and professionalism: Hannah’s glasses broke a while ago and they arranged an immediate replacement pair. I have no hesitation in recommending KCEC to friends of all ages. Jonathan Cohen,together with the staff in his practice, has made a huge difference to the life of one littlegirl and her family.
Yours sincerely,
Sarah Rauchas
