Being married to the love of your life would mean that you know everything there is to know about one another. Physically, emotionally, and mentally. Right? Well, Gene is married to the love of his life and has never actually seen her.
You might be wondering what that’s like, or how that’s possible. Well, 16 years before Gene met Joy, he was diagnosed with Stargardt disease. This disease takes away your central vision.
So, Gene has been able to see the outline of his wife, and also his son, but he had never seen the details of their faces. As Gene describes it, he sees pieces of a puzzle and has to put the pieces together in his mind.
While watching TV at home one day, Joy saw someone with Stargardt disease put on a special pair of electronic glasses. Once the glasses were on, the person could see. Joy then contacted the TV show that had run the episode about the glasses. She shared her family’s story, and they were invited to the show. Gene was thrilled to go.
As Gene sat in the chair with his wife and son in front of him, you could see he was a little anxious. The gentleman with the glasses explained how they worked, and he put them on Gene. He turned them on, and what he could see was on the screen beside them.
He took a look at his wife, and all he could say was, “She is pretty.” He saw his son, Lincoln, for the first time and was just in awe.
Gene could not believe that he could see everyone’s faces. The show even brought his mom and dad out, so he was able to see his mom and dad again!
As Joy said, this gives us hope for the future! This amazing company also gifted the $15,000 glasses to Gene and his family. Please check out the video to see the reaction of Gene and his family. It is truly heartwarming!
