Vision of the future

A NORTHSIDE boy’s quality of life has improved dramatically after he travelled to Canada for groundbreaking technology to assist his vision.

Ciarán O’Toole (9), from Artane, was diagnosed with Optic Nerve Hypoplasia when he was three and half-years-of-age. As a result he has just four to five per cent vision.

Ciarán travelled to Toronto last month with his father Aidan and sister Áine, where he received eSight Eyewear to help him with his condition.

The specially made glasses, which are packed with sophisticated technology, capture, enhance and display a real-time video that enables sight for people with low vision and legal blindness.

A small, lightweight processing unit does the hard work of adjusting every pixel of the video in real time.

A headset houses a high-definition camera, organic light-emitting diode (OLED) screens and multiple supporting technologies.

Ciarán wears an over-the-shoulder pouch which contains two compartments: one for the computer and the other for the glasses when he is not wearing them.

Aidan heard about the new technology after going through painstaking research. 

“For a long time I trawled the internet to research Ciarán’s condition,” said Aidan. “Last December I got a breakthrough when someone posted a link on Facebook about the eSight Eyewear and I checked it out. Then I tracked down the company (eSight Eyewear) who make the glasses and it took off from there.

“We were delighted when we heard that Ciarán might benefit from the technology so we travelled to Toronto.

“When we got over there, the medical people custom-made the glasses especially for him.”

Aidan said there has been a huge difference in Ciarán since he received the technology on October 27. 

“This technology is life changing, particularly from an educational and quality of life perspective,” Aidan explained.  

“Ciarán can now access the whiteboard (at school), TV and PC using the wearable technology.

“Before, he would have to sit a couple of inches from the TV but now he can watch it from anywhere in the room.

“In school, he had been using a magnifying glass when reading and will still use it occasionally because he is so used to it.

“It is second nature to him and it will take time for him to adjust.” 

Ciarán is a fifth class pupil at St David’s Primary School, Artane, and his Dad praised the school for helping to ensure the glasses, which cost €11,000, are kept safe.  

“When Ciarán is out in the schoolyard and not wearing the glasses, the staff look after them for him,” he said.

Despite their bulky appearance, Ciarán hasn’t been fazed by the glasses and is “very calm” about the process, according to his Dad. 

“He saw how they worked on Youtube before he went over to Canada so he knew what to expect,” he said.

Aidan pointed out that the glasses are in no way a cure for Ciarán’s vision impairment.

“They are an aid, and he is delighted that he was given the opportunity to avail of this technology,” he stated. 

“My advice to other people who feel that the eSight Eyewear might help them is to investigate the process.

“Everyone’s case will be different, obviously, so you would have to see if you’re compatible,” he said.  

There was a fear that Ciarán’s hopes might have been dashed because of the expense involved. The cost of the glasses and the travel to Canada totalled €14,000.

However, the money was raised in just three weeks after Ciarán was given the green light.  

Aidan and his family want to sincerely thank Ciarán’s local GAA club Craobh Chiarain, where he plays for the Under 9s; neighbouring clubs; the people of Donnycarney and Artane; and those who gave private and anonymous donations to ensure that Ciarán got to Canada.