12-Year-Boy Sees Color for the First Time in a Tear-Jerking Viral Video
Most seventh-graders might think they have little in common with their school principal. But a Cottonwood, Minnesota boy named Jonathan Jones recently learned that both he and his principal Scott Hanson are severely colorblind. And after lending Jones a special pair of specs that allow him to see color, the 12-year-old's world became forever changed. The heartwarming moment was captured by Jones' brother, and it's going viral.
The Lakeview School principal was recently teaching Jones and his classmates about colorblindness when he offered Jones the eyeglasses. In the clip, Jones tries them on, looks visibly surprised, and is quickly overcome with emotion and tears.
"He was just excited to see everything! This was all new to him and he's still getting used to the glasses now when he wears them," his brother Ben told CBS News.
He then checked out a colorful periodic table and other items in the classroom at the urging of his peers.
The principal then said to Jones, "Why don't you keep those for a little while. You can take them home with you today and just wear them around. I want you to experience as much as you can and maybe your parents will maybe buy you a pair."
Jones' mom, Carole, was there when her son had this life-changing experience and soon set up a GoFundMe to raise the $350 required to buy him his own pair. The manufacturer is EnChroma, which notes their lens technology "selectively filters out wavelengths of light" to increase the contrast between different color signals—especially red and green, which appear similar in the most common form of color blindness.
So far, the GoFundMe has reached over $28K. The Jones plan to put the extra cash toward glasses for colorblind people who can't afford a pair. Meanwhile, EnChroma has pledged to match every pair that the Joneses purchase.
"First off, I have been so humbled by the love, kindness, and light from so many people around the world," Carole Walter Jones tells Parents.com. "His GoFundMe is living proof that there is so much good that we don't hear enough about. Secondly, I have such respect and pride for how Jonathan has handled this. The eyes of the world have literally been on him and he has handled it with grace and strength. There have been many moments when he has wanted to stop all the interviews, but has chosen to stay in the spotlight so he can help more kids like him with his GoFundMe."
No doubt the Jones have much to be thankful for this year. With hope, their story will inspire others to be grateful for something as seemingly simple as being able to see color.
