See Worthy eye patch inventor Paige Brattin created her products after her daughter was diagnosed with Amblyopia. She and her husband feared their daughter was suffering from a brain tumor and Paige said to herself “if she’s OK, I’m going to devote my life to making the world a better place.
Amblyopia, commonly known as “lazy eye,” is a vision disorder that affects millions of people worldwide, often starting in childhood. Despite its prevalence, amblyopia remains relatively misunderstood by the general public.
Amblyopia is a vision condition where one eye or sometimes both eyes do not develop properly during early childhood. It is not related to any eye abnormalities or structural defects but rather stems from the brain’s inability to interpret visual information from one or both eyes correctly. The brain typically relies more on one eye than the other, leading to the underutilization of the “lazy” eye.
Amblyopia can result from various underlying causes, but the common thread among them is disrupted or unequal visual input during the critical period of visual development, which is typically up to the age of seven. The primary causes of amblyopia include: misalignment of the eyes,refractive errors and deprivation: Conditions like cataracts or other obstructions during early childhood can obstruct light from entering the eye properly. This lack of visual stimulation can lead to amblyopia in the affected eye.
Symptoms of Amblyopia
Amblyopia often develops without any noticeable symptoms. Children with amblyopia may not complain of vision problems since they are unaware of the issue. However, there are some subtle signs that parents and caregivers should watch for:
Poor depth perception.
Squinting or closing one eye.
Frequent eye rubbing.
Difficulty tracking moving objects.
Tilted head or head-turning when focusing on objects.
Early detection and intervention are crucial in managing amblyopia effectively. It is typically diagnosed through comprehensive eye examinations by an optometrist or ophthalmologist.
The Birth of See Worthy
The primary goal of amblyopia treatment is to strengthen the weak eye and encourage its use, allowing both eyes to work together effectively. That’s where See Worthy eye patches come in. Her daughter had to wear an eye patch over her “strong” eye so the weaker eye could whip itself into shape. The patches her daughter wore were ugly (think eye patch sized bad aids) didn’t fit her eye socket properly and had irritating adhesives. See Worthy patches are shaped to fit the eye socket, have dozens of colrful designs that kids love and the adhesive won’t irritate sensitive skin.
The parent company of See Worthy Eye Patches is called Worthy Brands. In addition to eye patches, they sell Port Worthy patches for chemotherapy ports. The port patches have similar benefits to the eye patches. Tehy currently sell on their website and Amazon. Paige probably wants a Shark to help get her into chain drug stores.
My Take on See Worthy Eye Patches
In an “it’s a small world” type of coincidence, my wife informed me that Paige is the cousin of one of her co-workers. I’ll be sure to press the co-worker for information the next time I see her!
As for the eye patches, I totally get it. When I was a kid, one of the kids in our neighborhood had Amblyopia. All the other kids thought the eye patch was cool. It was like he got to play pirate every day! Many of us wore eye patches on occaision and the kid told me later in life that made him feel better about himself. We were being supportive without trying!
Can Sharks Patch Up a Deal?
This business started in 2017, so it must have some sales. The merits of the product are sound, but without sales, it won’t matter to the Sharks. 1 out of 45 kids suffer from Amblyopia and there are over 1 million chemotherapy patients every year, so the market is there. If there are sales, there will be offers. The question is, which Shark?
I expect a royalty offer from Kevin; whether it gets accepted remains to be seen. Kevin likes companies run by women, so we’ll definitely see him make an offer. Mark could too, based on the merits of the products. What I expect is for one of the regular Sharks to team up with Guest Shark Candace Nelson. If that happens, she’ll team up with Mark or Lori.
Entrepreneur, auteur, raconteur. Rob Merlino is a blogger and writer who enjoys the Shark Tank TV show and Hot Dogs. A father of five who freelances in a variety of publications, Rob has a stable of websites including Shark Tank Blog, Hot Dog Stories, Rob Merlino.com and more.
Another disposable plastic product to add to pollution! Let’s all be millionaires at the cost of the environment!