Blind woman ‘sees’ again after developing rare condition

Melina Canning (left) suffered irreparable damage to her primary visual cortex when her daughter Stephanie (right) was just two

A mother who was rendered blind by a near-fatal stroke has stunned medics by developing blindsight – an extremely rare sixth sense that allows her to ‘see’ the outline of objects.

Melina Canning, 47, suffered irreparable damage to her primary visual cortex, the part of the brain that processes visual information, when her daughter Stephanie was just two years old.

Although her eyes still functioned, she was left with no vision whatsoever. But in the years since her stroke, Mrs Canning, from Wishaw, North Lanarkshire, has gradually developed a sixth sense, which scientists is a result of the brain trying to repair itself.

It means Mrs Canning can sense the outline of simple shapes, such as the shape of her daughter’s ponytail, falling rain, or coffee moving in a cup.

The condition is so rare  – Mrs Canning is one of the few people in the world with blindsight – that doctors at first thought their patient was imagining things.

Mrs Canning, married to husband Colin, suffered the stroke in her late 20s. The attack nearly killed her and she spent weeks on life support. 

Lucky to be alive: Mrs Canning suffered the stroke in her late 20s. The attack nearly killed her and she spent weeks on life support. Pictured: Mrs Canning with baby Stephanie

Lucky to be alive: Mrs Canning suffered the stroke in her late 20s. The attack nearly killed her and she spent weeks on life support. Pictured: Mrs Canning with baby Stephanie

She said: ‘During my four-month stay in hospital my mum Angela brought in a wedding anniversary present in a bright, green gift bag. I could see it on the bedside table and asked what was in the green bag. Everyone was stunned and I called out for the doctors.

‘They insisted I was imagining it and had guessed the colour. They were adamant I couldn’t see. I couldn’t convince them and felt so angry I wasn’t being believed.

‘I could also see the outline of people and movement but not their faces or expressions.’

I have not seen my daughter smile since she was a baby, and that is so upsetting. But I am lucky to be alive

Desperate to work out what was happening, Mrs Canning, a medical secretary, asked her family to contact her eye specialist boss.

She said: ‘She examined me and referred me to Professor Gordon Dutton, a leading specialist at Glasgow’s Gartnavel Hospital. He diagnosed blindsight.’ 

The incredible development has plunged Mrs Canning into the world of high level medical research because so little is known about the condition.

She plays host to a procession of eminent doctors and scientists keen to research blindsight in order to understand how our brains work.

Mrs Canning has played host to a procession of eminent doctors and scientists keen to research blindsight in order to understand how our brains work

Mrs Canning has played host to a procession of eminent doctors and scientists keen to research blindsight in order to understand how our brains work

HOW DOES BLINDSIGHT WORK?

Only a few cases of blindsight have been documented including in Italy, the US, and now, with Melina Canning, the UK.

Little is known about the condition, but researchers say there are pathways in the brain that are nothing to do with vision that give humans navigational skills even when they can’t see.

It remains unclear what these alternative pathways are, but leading experts in Canada and Holland are hoping examinations of Mrs Canning could help solve the mystery. 

In a 2008 study, scans showed that when a patient’s visual field was stimulated, there were different types of activity in the left side of the brain compare with those in the right side.

NHS Choices said the study, which had some limitations, suggested one explanation for blindsight might be to do with how nerve signals are transferred from one side of the brain.

Source: NHS Choices 

Doctors have established Mrs Canning is one of the few people in the world with blindsight.

The condition ‘clicked into gear’ about eight months after her stroke, when she was bathing Stephanie. She could make out the shape of the water splashing around.

‘From that time I began to see things such as rain falling and coffee moving in a cup,’ she added.

The condition 'clicked into gear' about eight months after the stroke, when Mrs Canning was bathing her daughter (pictured together)

The condition ‘clicked into gear’ about eight months after the stroke, when Mrs Canning was bathing her daughter (pictured together)

‘But I have not seen my daughter smile since she was a baby, and that is so upsetting at times. I just can’t see faces.

‘I can see if she has her hair in a ponytail because it moves when she walks. Then I remember that I am lucky to be alive and here to be able to watch her grow up.’

Mrs Canning has been flown to world leading experts in Canada three times and Maastricht in Holland once, where experts use scanners to examine activity in her brain.

The majority of the tests involve Mrs Canning being shown images of different shapes on a screen while scientists examine her brain’s response.

Next week, Canadian researchers will visit her home in Scotland to continue their research. She will also appear in a scientific research paper due to be published shortly.

In the meantime Mrs Canning said she is just thankful her blindsight is acknowledged by the wider scientific community, while she personally continues to be amazed by the way her brain is helping her to see.

‘I am hugely grateful for the diagnosis because no one initially believed that I could see the world around me while being blind,’ she said.

‘I wonder how many others have blindsight but won’t be taken seriously.’

No regrets: Mrs Canning (left) said although she is upset that she has not seen Stephanie, now 20 (right), smile since she was a baby, she  is lucky to be alive as her daughter grows up

No regrets: Mrs Canning (left) said although she is upset that she has not seen Stephanie, now 20 (right), smile since she was a baby, she is lucky to be alive as her daughter grows up

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