(PHOTO BY INDIA KENNER / THE VILLAGE REPORTER)
20/20 VISION … Benjamin Bruce Murray demonstrates the eSight Go and it’s many features.
By: India Kenner
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
india@thevillagereporter.com
No is the ultimate negative: it means “not any,” or “not at all,” it’s also used to express a generally negative response. The words No, Never, and Can’t, Do not exist in Benjamin Bruce Murray’s vocabulary.
Murray also known as The eSight Guy was born on Mother’s Day, May 14th, 1989 in Alpena MI. He was born very premature weighing only one pound ten ounces.
As a result of this, his optic nerves did not completely develop and he was diagnosed with optic nerve atrophy causing him to be legally blind.
This fate didn’t stop Murray, who is passionate about helping people and the community. His dream is to be a 911 Dispatcher. Murray is a board operator at B-Rock 100.9 and Q 96.5, and he also works at his family business Peopleworks as a direct service professional and a member of Wesley United Methodist Church where he ushers and handles audio and tech.
Murray also belongs to many local clubs in the community such as the Lions and Eagles and is an athlete in the Special Olympics.
Despite the odds and being told he will never be able to see again by the medical community he refused to accept that fate and that is when he came across the technology called eSight.
eSight was developed in Canada in 2013 by Electrical engineer Conrad Lewis. Lewis’s goal was to help his two legally blind sisters who have Stargardt’s disease. eSight glasses use sophisticated high-speed cameras, patented video processing software, computer software, and organic light emitting diode (OLED) screens to project a real-time image that allows the wearer to make out the images.
The new eSight Go resembles a virtual reality simulator and can zoom for clearer images. Wearing the eSight Go Murray has 20/20 vision.
The new eSight Go costs around $4,950.00 which doesn’t include any extras such as chargers and batteries but this cost is much lower compared to the original which was over $15000.
With the support of family, friends, and the community, Murray raised the money to purchase the new unit. He wrote over fifty letters and took his story to many Lions clubs.
Murray expressed he has no way to find the words to thank all the people who made his dream of seeing the world possible. One thing he always longed to see was a big American Flag.
He got the chance to see Old Glory flying above the Bryan Courthouse on a beautiful fall evening. It makes one wonder what all we take for granted.
If you are interested in learning more about Benjamin Bruce Murray or eSight please visit his YouTube channel https://youtube.com/@theesightguy?si=kF3tHa_FVRFTkBhh