Radio host, author Delilah urges optometrists to make change ‘one heart at a time’
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NEW YORK — Radio personality and book author Delilah told an audience at Vision Expo East that eye care providers can change lives with free eye exams.
Coming from a family that made sight a high priority, and after having adopted 12 children, Delilah believes good vision can give a child an opportunity to have a future.
“There are 487,000 kids in foster care in America,” she said. “Less than [50%] will graduate from high school. This is not OK that they’re throwaway children. The biggest reason they don’t graduate from high school is that they can’t read. You have the opportunity to use your gifts, talents, contacts and business to give sight to every child in foster care who needs it.
“There are so many things in the world that are crazy that we can’t impact,” she continued. “If you just do two or three free exams a week, you can change the trajectory of people’s lives ... by giving them an opportunity to have a future.”
Delilah, who will have been on the radio 49 years this September, recently released a new book, “One Heart at a Time,” and echoed its sentiments here.
“I believe we can’t depend on politicians to fix everything,” she said. “We need to change things one heart at a time.”
Delilah adopted 12 of her 15 children, six from West Africa and six from the American foster care system.
In 2005 she founded Point Hope Ghana, a program designed to provide clean water, sanitation, nutritional and agricultural programs, women’s training and education to Liberian refugees.
At the Vision Expo East event, Eyes of Faith founders Jim and Amy Schneider rendered Delilah speechless when they presented her with a $100,000 check to help establish a vision clinic at Point Hope Ghana.
Editor's note: This article was updated July 31, 2023, to indicate that less than 50% of children in foster care will graduate from high school. The editors regret the error.
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Delilah. OptiCon general session, a conversation with Delilah. Presented at: Vision Expo East, March 16-19, 2023; New York.
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