Formerly Blind and Deaf Toddler Sees for the First Time Thanks to Viral Facebook Post

When 2-year-old Nicolly Pereiea was born blind and deaf, her family thought she would never be able to hear or see them. However, after Pereiea’s story went viral on Facebook, Pereiea’s mother, Daiana, knew there was hope to help her little girl see for the first time.

Shortly after Pereiea was born she was diagnosed with pediatric glaucoma. Pereiea, who is from Brazil, tried many different surgeries to help her condition, yet nothing was successful. Pereiea’s mother put the story on Facebook where more than 30,000 people started to follow her journey.

Through the power of Facebook, Pereiea’s family was put in touch with the Jackson Health Foundation’s International Kids Fund (Wonderfund), which works with the Kevin Garcia Foundations. The two organizations helped Pereiea and her family raise over $17,000 to help pay for Pereiea’s operation at the Bascom Palmer. Director of the institute’s pediatric glaucoma center, Alana Grajewski, was able to perform a three-hour surgery on the toddler where she recovered her sight.

“It was amazing,” Grajewski said. “Everything came together.”

During the procedure they were also able to drain the fluid in the little girl’s ears, allowing her to hear clearly.

Pereiea “can now hear, see, sing and stand on her own. Although she is nearsighted, the little girl giggles and rolls around, all while sporting her new rose-colored glasses,” shared the Miami Herald.

“I feel like ‘mission accomplished,’ that there’s a yes for all those no’s that I received for two years when I was told it wasn’t possible,” Pereira’s mother said. “That fact that now it’s possible, that it happened, made me feel incredible.”

Check out more of the incredible story below!