SMITHTOWN, NY (CBS) - New high-tech digital goggles, made by eSight, promise to help the visually impaired see better than ever before.

For the first time in his life, 17-year-old Justin Crilly feels like most other kids.

"I'm able to do a lot more things on my own," Crilly said.

Things like helping his mom in the kitchen, or walking the dog and being able to see street signs or people's faces and expressions.

When Crilly was just 3 months old, he suffered a brain injury and his parents were told his vision would never be the same.

"I worried about what happens when he leaves home. What happens when he goes to college. Is he able to go to college and work independently? Now I don't have to worry," Crilly's mother, Stacy Crilly, said.

Stacy Crilly learned about eSight, or eyewear with a camera inside that can zoom up to 14 times the magnification of normal vision.

Users can adjust brightness, contrast and color.

Optometrist Bill Takeshita, who lost his own vision a few years ago, said the technology is a game changer.

"It's going to help so many people with macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and other kinds of vision problems," Takeshita said.

The digital goggles aren't cheap. They currently cost about $15,000.

But Stacy Crilly said the first time she watched her son see clearly again was worth the cost.

"It was a pretty amazing moment," Stacy Crilly said.

While eSight is not covered by insurance, the company offers services to help people afford the $15,000 device. Users can also connect their goggles to computers or televisions to see screens up close.

Source: http://www.westernmassnews.com/story/30670151/high-tech-goggles-could-help-visually-impaired