ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — A Raytown native saw Spring in a different light Friday thanks to a special new pair of specs.
During a class at Missouri Western University, Gabriel Relaford put on the new pair of enchroma glasses for the first time, allowing him to see red, yellow, orange and blue.
"It was a lot different than I expected," Relaford said. "Everything seems more vibrant and in your face."
He was surrounded by classmates, friends and family members taking in this special moment.
Relaford, a red-head, now knows what everyone was always talking about.
"I was not aware that my hair was that bright," he said.
But being colorblind presented hurdles in Relaford's life.
"I remember when I was in first grade I was almost held back because I wasn’t listening to the teacher," he said. "They kept telling me to color it blue and I kept coloring it purple and they were like why aren’t you listening to me."
Gabriel's mother, Jenny Relaford, started to notice something was wrong with Gabriel's vision at a young age when he proudly showed her a drawing of an ocean.
It was purple.
"The whole ocean is purple and he said, 'No it’s blue,'" his mom said. "He just had no idea and that’s when I thought, OK, he’s not pretending, it's definitely a real thing."
Relaford never let his condition alter his passion for art, which he studies at Missouri Western.
"I got into art because that’s who I am," Relaford said.
After seeing his art for the first time - in living color - Relaford described it as "vibrant."
Relaford can thank his new outlook thanks to a classmate who reached out to Alphapointe, an advocacy organization for the visually impaired.
The group was able to raise money for the glasses, which are Relaford's to keep.
"We want him to live life in full color and particularly do art therapy work in full color," Clay Berry, Alphapointe education and rehabilitation director, said.
