Noel Stafford, a Florida fan from Lakeland, recently became an internet sensation via a video that has now been viewed more than 50 million times on social media. (Photo: Tim Casey/UAA photographer)
Gators fan Noel Stafford Cherishes Eye-Opening Experience
Thursday, April 20, 2017 | General, Baseball, Scott Carter
The Lakeland resident became an internet sensation recently when a video of him seeing colors vividly for the first time went viral.
Considering lifelong Gators fan Noel Stafford has owned a lawn maintenance service for several years, that is saying something.
Then again, life has been brighter for Stafford the past four months than ever before. And in the last two weeks, well, Stafford's life has been a whirlwind from a different world for the 66-year-old retired teacher.
"It's kind of fun even though it's not going to last long,'' he said. "I wouldn't expect none of this."
You may not know Stafford by name, but there is a good chance you may have seen him on social media. He is the colorblind man who received a pair of glasses for his birthday in December.
Stafford's son Derek saw a YouTube promotion video for the glasses, which can help alleviate red-green color blindness by enhancing colors without distorting color accuracy. Derek told his sisters about the glasses and they all decided to chip in to buy a pair for their dad on his birthday.
If they worked, Stafford could finally see those tulips and petunias he plants in his customers' yards the way they are meant to be seen.
Derek decided to video his father as he opened the glasses and tried them on so a sister in England could watch him. Stafford had no idea he was about to open his eyes to a new world.
"I thought it was a watch or something,'' he said.
It was an emotional moment for the family. The video had a few thousand views until it blew up on social media recently in part thanks to Gator Nation.
You see, Stafford had a Gators cap on the day he opened the gift that changed his life. As soon as he tried them on, he was overwhelmed at what he saw.
"You don't realize what's there until you see it for the first time,'' he said.
Once the video reached the mainstream earlier this month, it took off. As of Thursday, it had more than 50 million views. That's right, 50 million.
"It's kind of worldwide,'' Derek said. "It kind of came out of nowhere. It was supposed to be just a personal thing. When other people caught on, it touched them like it touched us."
Stafford, who lives in Lakeland, has been featured on FOX News, local TV affiliates and media outlets from around the world.
He attended Florida's 1-0 victory over South Carolina on Thursday night as a special guest of the Gators and was recognized on the field in the second inning.
Stafford grew up in Florida and developed a passion for the Gators while he was in high school.
"When I was a youngster, I remember watching the Gators back when there were guys like Carlos Alvarez, Richard Trapp, Larry Smith,'' he said. "I followed them all the time and I'm at a point now when we lose, I'm grouchy for two or three days."
Being colorblind all his life, Stafford found ways to manage it over the years, whether waiting at a traffic light or checking out fruit at the grocery story.
Still, the glasses have been life-changing.
"I don't have to worry about buying a pair of purple pants when I think they are blue,'' he said. "When I saw through them, I couldn't believe what these colors are like."
Stafford took a walk over to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium while in town. He tries to attend a couple of football games a year, but he had never seen 'The Swamp' like he saw it Thursday.
Everything was so Orange & Blue.
"Crisp and clear," he said.
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