Woman Who's Blind Goes Viral Saying She Can 'Hear' Where Tree Is—Here's How

Molly Burke has spent over a decade bridging the gap between the blind and sighted communities through lighthearted lifestyle videos, but it was a spontaneous moment in a California park that has newly piqued the interest of viewers online. In her video, shared to her TikTok account @mollyburkeoffical on March 25, Burke, 31, demonstrates what she calls the "echo technique"—a form of passive echolocation she uses to detect objects in her environment by sound. "I was just walking through this park—no guide dog, no cane, no nothing—and I reached my hand out and touched this tree because I could hear it," Burke told viewers online while standing beside a tree in the footage. "My boyfriend was like, 'What are you doing?' And I was like, 'This tree was so loud, it freaked me out.'" The post has received almost 500,000 views and over 50,000 likes, with TikTok users expressing amazement at how Burke navigates the world around her, using only her hearing. Burke, a Canadian-born content creator based in Los Angeles, California, lost most of her sight at 14 years old due to Retinitis pigmentosa, a rare degenerative eye disease. Burke began her career as a motivational speaker before moving into digital storytelling on YouTube and Instagram when she turned 20. "I have been a social-media content creator for over 10 years now," Burke told Newsweek. "I create lifestyle content from the perspective of a blind woman, which includes anything from beauty and fashion to fitness and travel. "Plus, a whole lot of cute dog!" Burke added. Her guide dog, named Elton John, features prominently in her posts and helps her navigate more-complex environments, but it was her less-visible navigational tool—the echo technique—that recently sparked renewed interest from her followers. "Echolocation is a technique used by some blind people to help us navigate," Burke said. "I was trained in passive echolocation by my orientation and mobility instructor as a child." Unlike active echolocation, which involves producing clicks or snaps to generate sound waves, passive echolocation relies on natural sound waves in the environment. These sounds bounce off surfaces, creating what Burke refers to as "sound shadows." Burke said that her instructor got her acquainted with the technique by blindfolding her, even when she could still see, and asking her to count trees while walking down a sidewalk. While the technique does not replace traditional aids such as canes or guide dogs, it serves as a complementary tool. "It helps me figure out how large a space is, if there are obstacles, where new hallways or door openings are," Burke said. "It is not a skill all blind people have, use, or are trained in.

"This is a skill that needs to be learned and is not some sort of superpower you naturally tap into when you lose your vision." Burke's recent bout of viral success was unplanned, as she had just been taking her guide dog to the park for some off-harness playtime when she reacted to the presence of a small tree. Her boyfriend noticed her ability to move safely past it without help and began filming their conversation. "I have talked about my use of passive echolocation in the past but have not brought it up for a long time," Burke said. "This video was a reminder of this for old viewers and also reached a lot of newer viewers who have never heard me discuss this topic before." The reaction online has ranged from curious to incredulous, with many viewers debating what Burke meant when she described the tree as "loud." "I was referring to the sound shadow being a loud, strong one, meaning the sound waves coming off it felt very intense despite it being a thin tree," she said. Burke added she hopes that sharing her experience will deepen public understanding of how blind individuals experience the world. "It goes to show that the human experience is unique and diverse," she said. "While we are all living in the same world, we are experiencing it in different ways, which should be celebrated and respected."

Sharing Her Story Online

Burke's journey to becoming a digital advocate began with her own need for connection. As a teenager, losing her vision isolated her from peers and sent her into depression. "I felt so alone and misunderstood," Burke said. "It felt like everyone was treating me differently after my vision loss, even though I felt like I was still the same person." YouTube became a lifeline, and watching beauty and fashion content provided a much-needed sense of belonging and normalcy. "These girls became my community," Burke said. "They felt like they were my friends, even though they did not know me." Years later, Burke decided to share her own story online. "At that time, I had just quit my dream job as a full-time touring motivational speaker and moved back into my childhood home … I reflected back on how powerful YouTube had been for me and decided it was time to start sharing my own story." More than a decade later, Burke has built a multi-platform presence under @mollyburkeofficial that combines accessibility education with humor, fashion, and daily life—and she is now introducing more people to the little-known "echo technique." "While almost everyone has the ability to do this, including sighted people, many are not aware of it because they are so distracted by seeing the world around them or because they have not been given the tools to help enhance it," Burke said. "While I am far from the best at it, it is a skill I am very grateful to have been taught from a young age." Is there a health issue that's worrying you? Let us know via health@newsweek.com. We can ask experts for advice, and your story could be featured on Newsweek.