SELINSGROVE -- A legally blind man from Selinsgrove recently got a special pair of glasses that allow him to see perfectly when he puts them on. He's now helping others see clearly.
Newswatch 16 introduced you to Jason Kaufman of Selinsgrove in May. The Snyder County 911 dispatcher and volunteer firefighter has been legally blind since birth because of a condition caused by being born prematurely.
He used a magnifying glass to read to his son, and special software at work.
Back in the spring, Kaufman was raising money for E-Sight's E-Glasses -- FDA approved glasses that would give him perfect vision. The E-Glasses are not covered by insurance, but after months of fundraising, Jason was able to buy the $15,000 glasses.
"I can read a story to my son. I can see things at a distance, unbelievable that I wasn't able to do before. I can see now," Kaufman said.
Kaufman says the binocular-like glasses take some getting used to. He is only supposed to wear them for a few hours a day until his eyes fully adjust. He says that's OK.
"I can actually see facial expressions. I can see my son out in the yard playing on his swing set while I'm sitting on the deck. That's something I could never do before," Kaufman said.
After our story ran and Kaufman got his glasses, word spread quickly and this woman is soon going to be getting her own pair.
"We are placing the order today and they will be here in six weeks," Joy Hoke said.
In 2013, Joy Hoke of Selinsgrove was diagnosed with a rare eye disorder that later left her legally blind.
"So in three months I went from perfect vision to legally blind," Hoke said.
After Kaufman's story aired on Newswatch 16, Hoke got in contact with him to find out how she could get E-Glasses. The two became fast friends.
"This is a young man who never met me in his life and he told me I will go door to door for you and ask people for money. If you don't have them by your daughter's wedding in May, you can borrow mine to watch her walk down the aisle," Hoke said.
Hoke expects to have her E-Glasses in plenty of time for next year's wedding.