N.C. teacher sees colors for the first time, thanks to his students

[Ulquiorra]

A colorblind Charlotte teacher saw his life change in a matter of seconds on Friday, May 4, when his students surprised him with a special pair of glasses that revealed colors for the first time.

Teacher Trent Hopkins' reaction was captured in a video in which he admits being both tearful and nauseated at the flood of sensations introduced by the Enchroma glasses. The glasses range in price from $349 to $429.

"I ain't going to cry," Hopkins says in the video, after realizing what was in the box handed to him by the students. "I'm so terrified. Is this happening?"

Hopkins is a teacher at Mountain Island Day Community Charter School in Charlotte, and the students devised a plan months ago to pool their money and buy the glasses.

The two-and-a-half-minute video shows Hopkins was surrounded by the students when he tried on the glasses on the first time. And he is clearly stunned by what he sees, backing away from the crowd, then bending over to steady himself with hands on his knees. The video has been viewed nearly 3,000 times since being posted Friday.

"Oh, my gosh" Hopkins says, as he examines the colors in front of him. "Are you serious? I've been missing out on so much … Everything is different. It's so weird."

Hopkins then admits the effect is so dizzying, he feels like he "wants to throw up."

The group of students held signs and items to help Hopkins identify colors as soon as he put on the glasses. One sign read: "You've made our lives brighter, and we've made yours more colorful."

In his Facebook post of the video, Hopkins said the students surprised him with a gift that "completely changed my world."

"I've been convinced that I teach the greatest students on the planet for a long time," Hopkins wrote in his post. "Today, that belief was affirmed. To all the students, staff, and parents involved: Thank you for adding a little color and a whole lot of love to my life."