ALTOONA, Iowa —An Altoona woman who has been legally blind since birth can now see for the first time, thanks to a new high-tech tool. And 45-year-old Mindi McDonald is the first person in Iowa to try it.

A birth defect meant McDonald has been legally blind her entire life.

 “I’ve never been able to drive. I've never been able to go through driver's education. I've always had to use large print books,” she said.

So when McDonald heard about Esight, she was intrigued. The $15,000 technology uses a high-definition camera to capture and display real time video.

The device has appeared all over daytime talk shows, and now it’s allowing McDonald to read her recipe books without a high-powered magnifying glass.

A video taken last week shows McDonald put on Esight. She was able to see her husband and children clearly for the first time.

“Close up I could see them, but I couldn’t see fine details,” McDonald said.

Dave McDonald said he’s never seen his wife this happy before.

“I like the fact that I am more independent now,” McDonald said. “The next chapter of my life is me being able to see.”

McDonald now has 20-30 vision.

Source: http://www.kcci.com/news/legally-blind-woman-can-see-clearly-for-the-fir...