College student Sara Tillman goes blind after tonsil surgery

A 21-year-old college student went blind hours after getting surgery on her tonsils.

The parents of Sara Tillman say they found her barely breathing and unresponsive and took their daughter to a hospital.

They saved Tillman's life, but her eyesight was gone. 

"I'm surprised I didn't have a full on panic attack," Tillman said.

Tillman says she can't remember anything from being unconscious for a week-and-a-half after the surgery.

The active 21-year-old college student had to lea how to do everything as a blind person.

Tillman said her faith in God has been everything.

"He's the reason I'm able to get over each roadblock I encounter. It's definitely the reason I've had such a positive attitude about the whole thing," Tillman said.

Tillman's mother, Sally Tillman, said she's had to step back and let her daughter re-explore her passions without her sight.

Tillman's father, a practicing optometrist, is exploring all options to help his daughter regain her sight.

He says his daughter experienced a lack of oxygen that affected the optic nerves. He's already taken her for stem cell treatment in China.

Sara Tillman just had an MRI that shows improvement, but she still can't see.

Sara Tillman said she wants to finish college, get a master's and a doctorate at Berry College located in Mount Berry, Georgia. She also wants to be a counselor to help others.