A mother who was rendered blind by a near-fatal stroke has stunned medics by developing blindsight - an extremely rare sixth sense that allows her to 'see' the outline of objects.

Melina Canning, 47, suffered irreparable damage to her primary visual cortex, the part of the brain that processes visual information, when her daughter Stephanie was just two years old.

Although her eyes still functioned, she was left with no vision whatsoever. But in the years since her stroke, Melina has gradually developed a sixth sense, which scientists is a result of the brain trying to repair itself.

RNIB Connect Radios Simon Pauley spoke with Melina to find out more about her remarkable story.