Family surprises legally blind daughter with 'gift of sight'

HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. (WKRG) — Five years ago, 10-year-old Mia Abrego was without a family, living in an Assam, India orphanage. Mia was also living without her sight. She was born legally blind with 20/400 vision.

Now, thanks to her parents, Joseph and Medea Abrego, for adopting her five years ago, and the help of a grant from First Hand Foundation, Mia will have both her sight and family this Christmas.

Thursday, Mia’s family surprised her with glasses from eSight, a technology company that manufactures vision-correcting glasses for the legally blind. The $6,000 glasses were paid in full by the First Hand Foundation grant.

“I was very surprised and shocked,” Mia said. “I thought it would take a while.”

Without the glasses, Mia struggles with reading. She can only see one letter at a time, which causes problems with pronunciation and comprehension.

During a trial with the glasses in October, she saw was able to read with 20/25 vision.

Her 10-year-old brother, Maddox, who was adopted from South Korea by the Abrego family, was excited about his sister’s new glasses. He told WKRG he helps his sister when she’s having trouble reading by giving her clues. Maddox describes Mia as joyful and always finding ways to cheer up the family.

“Whenever she said, “I can see. I can see everything,’ I started crying,” he said. “I was just really excited for her.”

The Abrego family says this device will change Mia’s life.

“She’s going to do even more than anyone ever thought she could,” Medea Abrego said. “I saw it from the beginning.”