Woman with bionic eye explains what it’s like to see again
Suffering from the blindness-inducing disorder retinitis pigmentosa, Rhian Lewis, 49, hadn't been able to read a clock with her right eye in 16 years or with her left eye in six. That all changed after the surgical implantation of a "bionic eye" in June:
After being able to read the time on a clock, Lewis said, "Honest to god, [it] felt like Christmas Day." Later, when out on a walk and recognizing a car, Lewis said, “I was just so excited, I was quite teary. The enormity of it didn't hit me until I'd actually got home, thinking 'Oh my god, what have I done? I've actually spotted something out that I haven't been able to do.'"
Bionic eyes have been tested as treatment for retinitis pigmentosa since 2012, though Lewis is the first patient outside of Germany to be implanted with the newer model of the device. Watch Lewis talk about the experience of recovered sight at The Guardian.
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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