Unblinded is the true story of New Yorker Kevin Coughlin, who became blind at age 36 due to a rare genetic disorder known as Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy. 20 years later, without medical intervention, Coughlin’s sight miraculously started to return. He is the only known person in the world who has experienced a spontaneous, non-medically assisted, regeneration of the optic nerve. Unblinded follows Kevin’s descent into darkness, and his unexplained reemergence to sight.
Traci Medford-Rosow is the award-winning author of bestseller Inflection Point: War and Sacrifice in Corporate America. She is also the author of Data Exclusivity: Encouraging Development of New Medicines, as well as numerous opinion pieces published by Pharmaceutical Executive on key pharmaceutical issues.
Kevin Coughlin has appeared on numerous radio and TV shows. He inspired a CNN story chronicling his experience living as a blind person in New York City which was instrumental in establishing its first blind advocacy program. His story, “Blind Injustice,” was featured on the CBS evening news.
Unblinded is a true and extraordinary story in which you get your sight back spontaneously after being blind for two decades. On being able to see again, he remarked, “it was immense, boundless joy.” “A joy that I had never up to that point experienced in my life. Words cannot do it justice as it was so out of the blue, so unexpected. Because of that fact, I was skeptical and disbelieving. I didn’t share that experience with anyone I was close to for four months because I was afraid that it wouldn’t last.”
On the hardest scene to write when putting together Unblinded, they said, “When I was recounting the story of Ruger’s Retirement–sneaking out after bringing my first guide dog Ruger to his new home. That 24 hour period was the most emotional time I can remember. I was feeling all of the loss, pain. I no longer had alcohol as a shield to buffer me from life on ‘life’s terms.’ I was exposed and raw.”
If he could tell anything to his younger self, Coughlin said, “be open to love.” “Don’t be afraid to trust and take a chance on love. Be spontaneous and not so incredibly planned and structured. Finally, know and always remember that you are strong and loving,” he said.
Life is full of challenges and overcoming them, if their book was ever turned into a movie, they opened up about the No. 1 takeaway. “Loss is the most powerful teacher. People do not realize their strength until they are confronted with a life altering challenge. Mine was a devastating loss of sight, but many people face countless other issues like loss of a loved one, career, or a cancer diagnosis.”
“I want my story to illustrate that anyone can use any of the challenges that life serves up as an opportunity to grow and become the true person they were always meant to be,” Coughlin said. “To me blindness and vision is a bit player in the story. The real thrust, the arc is going forward no matter what. Not giving up, not taking a for an answer. Living through whatever it is and thriving rather than just surviving. Feeling gratitude for every moment. And that leads into your final question—using my experience and the positive message of living in gratitude to inspire others through motivational speaking.”
Unblinded is available on Amazon by clicking here.
