Jenny O’Connell had never seen her husband, son or daughter.

That was the case until Tuesday, when the Dubliner’s sight was restored after 46 years of blindness.

O’Connell, who lives in Dún Laoghaire, lost her sight when she was 11-years-old due to a bad reaction to a medicine.

Doctors at the Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital in Dublin were able to restore her sight in one eye through a rare operation which involved inserting an artificial cornea in her right eye.

O’Connell began the treatment, which is known as Boston Keratoprosthesis, over four weeks ago. Consultant Bill Power and his team completed the final stage of the impressive surgery on Tuesday.

The Irish woman called her husband, Sean, after completing the procedure to tell him the incredible news. Sadly, Sean has lost his own sight recently due to diabetes.

“What a shock. I just can’t believe it actually happened . . . it’s all my dreams together, but at the same time I wasn’t hoping for it, you know. I was afraid to,” O’Connell told the Irish Times.

Doctors say they expect O’Connell’s sight to improve even further in the upcoming weeks.