11/12/2025
Each Mardi Gras Indian costume tells a story, but for Black Feather tribe's Corey Rayford, Sr., there's a story behind the story.
“I am the Big Chief,” he said. “I was told I might be completely blind by the age of 21. When I was a little boy, my family used to sit me in the dark and cover my eyes so that I could learn how to move around without having my sight. Growing up wasn't easy. I had to wear very thick glasses, and kids sometimes teased me about them.”
Corey has a rare genetic eye condition called keratoconus. The cornea, that transparent, front surface of the eye, is normally shaped like a dome. His is like the tip on the bottom of an ice-cream cone. After a lifetime of surgeries and special contacts, seeing life as though it were through a glass of milk, now at the age of 53, Corey is about to be treated with Corneal Cross-Linking.
Thanks to a generous donation, UMC brings sight-saving treatment to hundreds, including one culture bearer whose legacy depends on it.
