Meet Your Neighbor

Justice Hadley

January 14, 2007

2nd grader, Northside Elementary School
Advocate for early vision testing

Seven-year-old Justice Hadley, a second-grader at Northside Elementary, will travel to Washington, D.C., next month to educate national leaders about the importance of early childhood eye screening.

Her Capitol Hill trip is sponsored by Prevent Blindness America, the organization that detected a cataract in Justice's left eye when she was just four and attending Teddy's Place daycare center. As a result of this discovery, she was able to get early treatment for the cataract as well as two eye conditions that have been discovered since.

Justice's vision has stabilized and her parents make sure she has regular visits with her eye specialist. They also strive to promote the importance of early detection.

"I'll talk about how I got glasses and why I got glasses," says Justice of the short speech she'll be giving during her stay in Washington. Other advocates from throughout the country -- both children and adults -- will be presenting as well.

Justice admits she's a bit nervous about the three-day adventure, which she'll share with her mom, Angie. But she's also growing excited and has been telling her friends in Mrs. Mitchell's class about her upcoming travel opportunity -- her first trip to the nation's Capitol.

This experience is actually Justice's second chance to help promote early childhood vision screening. A couple years ago, she was an ambassador for the Wisconsin Chapter of Prevent Blindness. Then, she regularly traveled to Milwaukee and other state destinations to help promote the cause.

As a parent, Angie is extremely grateful for the organization that encouraged her to take Justice in for further checking. "I told Prevent Blindness that I never would have taken her in if it wasn't for them.

"She has these major problems and we never would have known because she doesn't complain," said Angie. "That was the vision she grew up with -- she didn't know her cloudiness wasn't normal."

Now, Angie volunteers her time to help with screenings. She's also become a vocal advocate for early detection.

"My whole goal is just to help create more awareness of the importance of getting your children's eyes tested," she said. "I never would have guessed to get my 4-year-old's eyes tested."

That's the message the Hadleys will be sharing in Washington, D.C.

"And guess where I get to go when they're gone," inserts Justice's 4-year-old sister, Bailee. "To Chuck E. Cheese's with my dad and my brother." That would be father John and 14-month-old John VI, who round out this family of five. (See a picture of all the Hadleys.)