Ben Underwood – The Boy Who Sees with No Eyes

Ben Underwood, who lost his sight to cancer as a toddler, had two artificial eyes made of plastic. However, he walked without a cane or seeing-eye dog, played video games, and identified objects he passed by name: “That’s a fire hydrant” or “That’s a trash can.” Ben made clicking sounds with his mouth that he claimed were like sonar, bouncing off objects and returning to his ears so he could identify them by sound. However, that claim was never tested, and he was able to name things distant from him, such as buildings, that his clicking would not be able to identify. He could play video games, and in a pillow fight, he could throw a pillow to hit a targeted person even when the person was moving silently.

Sadly, the cancer that took his eyes as a child took his life. The following video describes Ben’s abilities.

Documentary world

The Boy Who Sees Without Eyes, Ben Underwood, 2014
www.youtube.com/watch?v=N210pYhtPdI