Associated Press

EAU CLAIRE--The eyes of national news media are on an Eau Claire man who, after being legally blind for nearly 10 years, suddenly -- and inexplicably -- got his vision back last month.

Renay Poirier, 40, appeared on NBC's "Today" show Thursday to tell how his sight was restored the morning of May 23 as he was preparing for work as a physical therapist assistant at Sacred Heart Hospital.

Poirier, who could see only shapes and movement up to a foot away, said he was standing in front of a window when he experienced a pain in his head, followed by a flash of light.

A moment later, he looked out the window to see trees for the first time in nearly 10 years.

Even better, Poirier told "Today" host Matt Lauer, was being able to see the faces of his wife, Connie, and daughters Alea, 12, and Kara, 9.

When Kara was just 2 months old, Poirier lost his sight in a high voltage electrical explosion in October 1990 at Cray Research in Chippewa Falls, where he was a maintenance technician.

Though doctors were unable to diagnose the blindness, finding nothing physiologically wrong with his eyes, Poirier accepted his blindness and began rebuilding his life.

He studied to become a physical therapist, traveling to Minneapolis during the week to attend The College of St. Catherine. He graduated with a 3.8 grade point average and received the 1997 Outstanding Student Award from the Minneapolis chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association.

After interning at Sacred Heart in Eau Claire, Poirer began working there full-time in summer 1997 and found the work therapeutic for him as well as his patients. "After I started working here, I began to feel important again," Poirier said. "It's self-worth."

Poirier also rediscovered his Catholic faith as he adjusted to his blindness. He said telling his story to news media is a way for him to spread a message of faith. "I have accepted that I am a small instrument for God," Poirier said. "There must be more that he wants me to do."

Poirier's story was first reported in the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram last Sunday. Since then, there has been an explosion of media interest.

He has since appeared on local television stations and other national networks, including CNN and MSNBC.

Poirier has also been contacted by the TV shows "Good Morning America," "Larry King Live," "20/20," "Inside Edition" and the Catholic News wire service, said Ann Middendorf, a communications manager at Sacred Heart.