Man Born Legally Blind Gets Vision Fixed, Immediately Buys C7 Corvette

Experimental surgery gifts man his vision at 44, so he got his driver’s license and bought his dream Corvette.

The Corvette is an iconic American sports car that has captured the hearts of countless people over its decades in existence. That has spawned some truly amazing stories, of course. But few can measure up to the tale of Alberta, Canada resident Mike Schickerowski. You see, Schickerowski was declared legally blind after he was born with nystagmus, a condition that creates involuntary rapid eye movement of the eyes, which makes everything blurry.

Despite this, Schickerowski has lived a pretty normal life in his 44 years on this planet. He has a wife and three kids, as well as a job. But what he didn’t have was a driver’s license, as he was unable to drive due to his condition. Schickerowski had pretty much resigned to the fact that he would never be able to slip behind the wheel because of his condition. But then, a new experimental surgery became available.

In October of 2018, Schickerowski signed up for an experimental trial at the Gavin Herbert Eye Institute in Irvine, California. The procedure, called MWR (Myectomy Without Reattachment), provides “a way to remove the offending eye muscles to quiet the movement without adversely affecting daily vision, effectively tricking or circumventing the brain,” according to Dr. Robert Lingua, who performed the surgery.

Miraculously, the unproven surgery worked perfectly, granting Schickerowski a second lease on life at the age of 44. “It’s been mind-boggling and it’s absolutely incredible,” he explained to Global News. “I’m seeing absolutely everything for the first time. It was beautiful to see, but it was more the realization of what I missed my whole life. It was emotional breakdown. My mom was bawling and my wife was ecstatic. It was never supposed to happen. There was a sad moment of how much history had gone by and how much I had suffered, but [I was] still excited for the future.”

One of the first things that entered Schickerowski’s mind, however, was obtaining his driver’s license and making up for lost time in terms of securing himself a fun vehicle. He soon came across a yellow C7 Corvette and immediately fell in love. So Schickerowski purchased it sight unseen before he even actually obtained his driver’s license.

“I bought it because I loved the look, but quickly realized how amazing the steering, braking, and suspension were. I realized then that she was so much more than just good looks,” Schickerowski told Motor Illustrated. “It’s just a sense of freedom and the ability to be able to go out and do what I need to do now. I took my son fishing last week, I was never able to do that before on my own. I took my daughter for ice cream. It’s unbelievable.”

If nothing else, Schickerowski’s inspiring story is also a great lesson for those of us who have been blessed with good vision our entire lives. The little things in life we take for granted – owning and driving a Corvette, taking our kids out for special treats – aren’t just little things for some.

Photos: Mike Schickerowski