How This Legally Blind Mother Regained Her Independence Thanks to New Device

When Holly Bonner, 39, lost her vision in 2012, she was devastated. She says the OrCam MyEye helped her reclaim her independence.

A legally blind mother of two says she is reclaiming her independence because of a brand-new device.

When Holly Bonner, 39, lost her vision in 2012, she was devastated. "I don't think people understand the change that happens when you lose your eyesight because you really have to go back to the beginning," Bonner told Inside Edition. 

Bonner said it took months for her to relearn some of the most basic tasks. "It was probably the darkest time of my life, quite literally," she said.

Now, Bonner, a successful social worker and now a blog writer, says she is leading a more independent life again, at work and home, thanks to the OrCam MyEye, a device that can help those who are visually impaired read, recognize faces, scan product barcodes and more. 

Inside Edition teamed up with OrCam and its expert, Dr. Bryan Wolynski, to share Bonner's story. 

"OrCam MyEye is the world's most advanced assistive technology that is changing the lives of people who are blind, visually impaired or having reading difficulties," Wolynski told Inside Edition. 

The OrCam MyEye conveys visual information by audio and doesn't need to be connected to anything in order to work. 

Bonner can attest firsthand to what a difference the technology has made in her life. 

"When I go into my refrigerator, if I'm looking for a certain product, a certain yogurt for my little girls, I'm able to spin it around and scan the barcode using the OrCam MyEye and it will tell me what yogurt I have in my hand and I'm able to give that to my daughter," Bonner said. 

The first time that Bonner knew the device would really change her life was when she went out for dinner with her husband one night and was able to read the menu by herself for the first time in years. 

"[Sight is] something that people take for granted, to be able to go out for dinner with your spouse and order something off the menu," said Bonner, tearing up. "For so many years after losing my eyesight, my husband would be kind enough to read me what was on the menu."

She continued: "The first time that I used the OrCam MyEye during one of our date nights ... I was able to read the menu and order what I wanted. I felt good about myself and I felt good about our relationship and I just felt like a normal woman on a date night."

For the next seven days, you can go to OrCam.com and enter code "Inside" to receive a $400 discount on all OrCam devices.

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