Blind woman who regained her vision details the moment she saw her husband for the first time
A blind woman who regained her vision after surgery has opened up about seeing her husband for the first time, saying he was ‘more handsome than I could have imagined.’
Sophia Corah, 24, from Rio Rancho, New Mexico, was just 18 when she started to lose her vision. She was diagnosed with keratoconus – a condition in which the cornea is unable to hold its round shape – and later declared legally blind.
She and her husband, Christian Corah, 25, were college friends when he helped raise money for the life-changing surgery that restored her vision.
Sophia Corah, 24, from Rio Rancho, New Mexico, was legally blind when she met her husband, Christian Corah, 25, at Adams State University, Colorado
Sophia was just 18 when she started to lose her vision in May 2017. She was diagnosed with keratoconus – a condition in which the cornea is unable to hold its round shape
‘Seeing Christian for the first time was so overwhelming, but after I’d calmed down, I realized what a cutie he was,’ the science teacher said.
‘I had already built a connection with him that it didn’t matter what he looked like, but it was very nice to properly see his face after all this time. He was even more handsome than I could have imagined.’
Sophia started to lose her vision in May 2017. When she first woke up unable to see, she thought it was an ‘allergy attack.’
‘I drove to school and realized my eyesight was going when I couldn’t read the paper,’ she recalled. ‘It was so scary, and I think I sobbed for six months. I feared I’d never see the faces of my future children.’
Sophia’s eyesight quickly deteriorated, and she was registered as legally blind just three months later in August 2017.
After researching keratoconus further, Christian discovered a surgery to stop the cornea from bending out of shape that would correct Sophia’s eyesight and helped her raise money for it
In October 2018, Sophia underwent a corneal collagen cross-linking treatment to help keratoconus from progressing and then had contacts implanted into her eyes
‘I loved expressing myself through fashion and make-up, and at that point, I could hardly put a shirt on,’ she said. ‘It was really difficult adjusting, but I was determined to do what I could.’
Sophia went to Adams State University, Colorado, where she studied psychology and met her husband, Christian Corah, 25.
‘I couldn’t see what Christian looked like when I met him. With keratoconus, my vision meant I could see about 10 eyes all over the place, so I couldn’t really piece him together,’ she explained. ‘To cross the road, I could see the shape of someone’s feet and would follow when I saw them move.’
They hit it off right away and became close friends before their relationship developed into something more.
Sophia realized she was in love with him and told him her feelings in October 2020. ‘He was even more handsome than I could have imagined,’ she said of seeing him for the first time
Christian proposed to Sophia in January 2021, three months after they started dating
‘As soon as I met Sophia, I was drawn to her,’ said Christian, a data analyst. ‘She was such a fighter and she’d never use her blindness as an excuse.’
He added: ‘Sophia is so resilient. She would play ping pong with me when she was blind and beat me at pool.’
Sophia recalled how Christian supported her the whole time while she was blind, saying: ‘He took care of me and made me feel so special.’
After researching keratoconus further, he discovered a surgery to stop the cornea from bending out of shape that would correct Sophia’s eyesight. He even helped her find a surgeon.
Sophia and Christian tied the knot in June 2021 after a five-month engagement
‘As soon as I met Sophia, I was drawn to her,’ Christian said. ‘She was such a fighter and she’d never use her blindness as an excuse’
‘The only hitch was it cost over $19,000, so I wasn’t very hopeful as my insurance wouldn’t cover it,’ she explained. ‘But Christian put a fundraiser up for me and raised the money in five weeks.’
In October 2018, Sophia underwent a corneal collagen cross-linking treatment to help keratoconus from progressing and then had contacts implanted into her eyes.
‘My vision slowly started coming back, but it was very gradual while I healed,’ she said. ‘I was able to start wearing Scleral contacts, which meant I could see, but it was very intense, and I could only wear them for a few hours at first.’
She regained 20/20 vision in August 2019.
Sophia realized she had feelings for Christian and took the plunge to declare her love to him in October 2020.
Sophia said their journey from friends to partners while she was regaining her vision brought them closer together
‘It’s been an amazing journey,’ Sophia said. ‘Christian was there for me in the toughest times of my life and supported me and made me feel so special’
‘Christian and I had stayed in touch after I went home for the surgery, and I realized that no one else made me feel like he did,’ she said. ‘I decided to travel to see him after I had built up the courage to tell him how I felt.
‘It was really intense seeing him for the first time because I could see every detail of his face so clearly,’ she explained. ‘But I could see how handsome he was – he had a gorgeous smile. I knew I’d fallen for him and had to tell him how I felt.
‘Luckily he felt the same way.’
Sophia and Christian began dating right away, and he proposed just three months later in January 2021. They tied the knot in June of that year.
‘It’s been an amazing journey,’ she said. ‘Christian was there for me in the toughest times of my life and supported me and made me feel so special.
‘It brought us so close together.’
