Grab the Kleenex people, this is a tearjerker. But the good kind, don't worry.
20 years ago, Allen Zderad began to have serious vision problems and was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative eye disease affecting the retina, which unfortunately currently has no cure or treatment and after ten years Zderad lost all sight.
Jump forward to today, and the now 68-year-old was able to see for the first time in two decades thanks to the Mayo Clinic and a clinical trial system called Second Sight. According to Dr. Raymond Iezzi Jr., the Mayo Clinic researcher and ophthalmologist behind the project who requested that Allen get involved in the trial after seeing Zderad's grandson who is in the early stages of the condition, it's a bionic eye 'in every sense of the word'.
"It's not a replacement for the eyeball, but it works by interacting with the eye." he told KARE 11 news, adding that this is just the beginning of the treatment. The device works by bypassing the retina and send light signals directly to the optic nerve via a tiny 'wafer-like chip' in his right eye and a prosthetic device set in glasses on his face.
As for Allen, he thinks it's "crude, but it's significant", and was able to make out human forms and even see his own reflection in a window upon first use of the device.
It makes all the difference for Zderad and his family though, as he'll now be able to make his way through rooms full of people and most importantly see his wife again. When asked how, he replied: "It's easy, she's the most beautiful one in the room".
All the tears. We're crying all the tears.
Via Mashable
