The last time Mike Cowell was able to see his wife's face was 20 years ago, a fact they can joke about thanks to a pair of special glasses that helped him see again.
"I didn't weigh this much the last time he saw me," Karen Cowell joked.
Mike was diagnosed with glaucoma and lost all sight in his right eye. "I'm 2200 in my left eye," he said.
As years passed he got used to seeing the world in shapes and shadows. However, one day his wife Karen found an ad for eSight glasses which were designed to help patients with macular degeneration see again. She decided to take him in for a demo.
"They told us there was only a 30 percent chance they'd work on him," Karen explained.
Mike put the glasses on for the first time in December. "When she turned them on, the first thing I saw was Karen cause she was sitting right directly across the room from me," Mike explained.
"I just get chills thinking about it cause you could tell by the look on his face," said Karen.
For the first time in many years Mike could see his wife of 38 years, and when he looked out the window, "that's the first time I'd seen the Nashville skyline, I didn't know we had one," Mike laughed.
However, things got even sweeter as Mike read the Valentines Day card Karen made for him.
"I found you, I got you, and I'm keeping you. Love, K," Mike read.
"I used to tell him that all the time," said Karen.
It's the first time they've been able to exchange and read cards in 20 years.
"I only have eye for you," Karen read. "On the inside he wrote, roses are red your eyes are green, they're still the most beautiful I've ever seen and it's great to be able to put a face to that heart again. I love you."
"It was wonderful, it was just absolutely beautiful," said Mike.
Visit the eSight glasses website for more information.
