Shander Herrian tells Liz Munro how he regained his sight after thirty years..

Shander, his daughters and his dream car

Shander Herrian is a successful business man and a family man. His early years were not so fortunate. At the age of seven Shander went blind as a result of an allergic reaction to some medication. So he grew up blind, went to a school for blind children and learned Braille.

As an adult Shander worked as a programmer in the computer industry. But he found he wasn't counted as equal to his sighted colleagues, so when the opportunity arose he set up his own business. As an Asian Sikh he'd opted for an arranged marriage. His wife turned out to be a trained nurse. And when they were starting the business, she also acted as his eyes.

Then five years ago they heard about an operation which replaces the cornea with a bit of tooth chiselled a bit like a polo. Shander decided to have the operation, and remembers seeing bright light, and then being able to see the doctors face, his tie and the rest of the room.

He was amazed by the colour of things and by how styles have changed. Now he loves watching his family playing, loves action movies, and he passionately loves his yellow Ferrari. This was something he promised himself if ever he regained his sight and was able to drive.

Being able to see after thirty years - being independent - 'a rock' for his family, these are the things that make Shander feel as though he's won the lottery.