At the age of three Mike May was blinded after trying to clean a glass jar scrounged from the cluttered garage in the plastic swimming pool in his yard. The jar contained chemicals that, when combined with water, caused an explosive reaction. After several corneal transplants, May was told he would never see again.
His blindness did not stop him from achieving a very full life; he traveled, started a family and business, and still holds world records in downhill speed skiing. So in 1999, when he learned of a surgery that could restore his vision, he did not immediately jump at the chance. After careful consideration and despite the risks and possible side effects of the drugs that would be necessary long-term, May decided to have the surgery.
Kurson provides an intimate look at May’s decision process, his first sighted moments after a lifetime of blindness, and the trials May faced as he learned to navigate the world in a very different way. When May’s vision hit a plateau and ceased to improve he participated in studies, thus providing scientists valuable opportunities to study vision and way the brain interprets how he, and therefore we see.
Crashing Through is a nice blending of story, self-examination and family drama with just a dash of science.