Gene Purdie has been born with a rare genetic disorder that took away most of his vision since he was a child. He was diagnosed with Stargardt disease when he was just sixteen years old. The disease caused his macula, the small area in the center of retina responsible for straight-ahead vision, degenerate.
But despite his debilitating condition, he never let it get the best out of him. He tries to live a pretty normal life and do everyday things just like everyone else. He eventually got married to his lovely wife and had a child.
This is what a person suffering from Stargardt Disease usually sees.
Although living a pretty much conventional life, it was a fact that Gene had never seen the face of his wife or son due to his condition. They had been repeatedly told that there was no cure or aid for his disease. Not until his wife saw one on Rachael Ray’s TV Show.
Despite his condition, Gene lived a pretty normal life with his lovely family.
A woman with a similar disease became a guest on the show and was given a chance to see her sister’s face for the first time using a newly developed technology. Gene’s wife could not believe herself and wanted so much to get her husband in the show.
She emailed the show and thankfully got in.
Gene was undeniably excited when he got on the show. His reaction when he first saw his family drew tears from the show’s host, the audience and Gene’s family.
Gene was not only given a chance to see his family for the first time, but he was also given another enormous surprise from Rachael Ray.
Watch Gene’s emotional reaction below:
Most of the time, we take for granted that things that we already have or the things that we can do. Let this be a reminder that something as mundane as seeing our family can be a precious moment once we lose it.
Share this story to someone to make them smile, cry and remind them the really important things in life.
