Colorblind artist breaks down in tears as he sees color for 1st time

A Missouri man received the birthday gift of a lifetime — the ability to see color.

Craig Greco was formally diagnosed as colorblind just a few years ago during a physical exam, but he has struggled with the condition his entire life.

Diagnosed with Deuteranomaly color blindness, Greco couldn’t detect colors of red and green and instead saw only shades of yellow and brown in their place.

For his 35th birthday in April, his wife wanted to give him a gift that she knew would change his world.

Greco had been researching online about Enchroma glasses, but couldn’t afford the pricey specs that cost $350 a pair for adults.

“I was trying to save up,” Greco told InsideEdition.com. “My wife was well aware that I wanted them. She and a mutual friend of ours — Lisa — actually set up a private Facebook event and their goal was to raise the money.”

The pair surprised him with the glasses for his birthday and Greco said he was absolutely shocked.

In a video captured by Caters News, Greco is completely overwhelmed with emotion and breaks down in tears once he puts them on.

“It just blew me away. I’ve honestly never felt sense of joy so powerful,” Greco said. “There aren’t words to describe the thanks and gratitude I have to my family and friends that made this happen.”

Greco’s wife also handed him a children’s book identifying colors, many of them he’d never seen before.

“It’s still just amazing," Greco said. "I can’t believe the clarity and the richness of the color. I was shaking. I was crying. I mean it was uncontrolled."

Greco, who paints in his free time, said he’s really excited to use the glasses while working on his art.

He had previously struggled with his work when it came to mixing colors, a problem he will no longer have.

“I’m now so excited to wear the glasses as I paint and see my creation come to life before my eyes,” Greco said. “I’m finally able to see the world in the way it was intended to be seen, and it’s completely stunning.”

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