Daniella Abreu, a 24-year-old woman, lost her vision after a retractable dog leash snapped and struck her in the eye. She is now speaking out about the painful accident and her year-long recovery. Daniella uses her TikTok platform to share her experience and raise awareness about the potential dangers of retractable leashes.

On August 7, 2023, Daniella Abreu was preparing for an evening walk with her 60-lb husky, Blu. Typically, Abreu preferred using a rope leash for their walks due to Blu’s size and strength, but that night, her regular leash was too frayed to use. She opted for an old retractable leash instead and headed out.

As they strolled through their neighborhood in Stuart, Florida, Blu spotted a rabbit and instinctively lunged after it. Abreu, holding the leash tightly, pulled back in an attempt to restrain Blu and keep him under control.

“As he was running one way and I was pulling the opposite way, the friction of the leash just snapped back and repelled, hitting me right in my eye,” recalls Daniella Abreu, a 24-year-old medical assistant. “It happened so fast but I knew it was bad immediately. The force of the leash was so traumatic.”

The handle of the retractable leash struck Abreu directly in her right eye, causing her face to bleed profusely. “I thought I completely lost my eye, so my flight or fight mode kicked in and I was able to run home. I ran inside screaming. My mom got to me first and I just fell into her arms and got really pale,” she recalls. “My dad, oh my goodness, his face was so frightened and terrified.”

Abreu’s parents quickly called an ambulance, and she was rushed to a level-one trauma center in Fort Pierce, about an hour away, due to the severity of her injuries. She had sustained a fracture beneath her eye, a detached retina, and her eyelid had been split open. Abreu describes how her face looked “caved in” from the extensive trauma to the bones surrounding her eye.

After undergoing X-rays, doctors stitched her eyelid back together. However, she was informed that she would need emergency surgery and would have to be transferred to another hospital in Miami. At that point, she was “preparing myself for the worst.”

When Abreu woke up from surgery, she received confirmation that she was permanently blind in her right eye, and there was no way to restore her vision. She was also told that her recovery would be a long and difficult journey, requiring additional surgeries to help the rest of her face heal.

“Even to this day, I still don’t believe it’s true,” she admits. “I had to put my entire life on pause. I went from being a super active girl — on a competitive dance team, working out on the side, a full-time job — and I basically had to take a year off of life.”

Abreu underwent four surgeries, and doctors confirmed that the damage to her right eye was so severe it had to be removed. In the months following the accident, she spent much of her time bedridden, sleeping not just to physically heal but also to grieve the loss of her vision.

In June, after her final surgery, Abreu was fitted for a prosthetic eye, which she received in August. The prosthetic will need to be replaced every three to five years. Although adjusting to it has been challenging, she’s grateful to regain some of her appearance, saying it helps her feel a bit more like herself.

Abreu also experiences dizziness and has difficulty with her long-distance vision, but she’s gradually regaining confidence as she adapts to her new reality.

Since the accident, she has shared her story on TikTok, using the platform to connect with others who have faced similar injuries. Abreu also emphasizes the importance of using rope leashes instead of retractable ones, regardless of a dog’s size, to prevent accidents like hers.

Meanwhile, in Austin, Texas, a young mother’s life took a sudden and terrifying turn due to a common practice many share: showering while wearing contact lenses. What began as minor eye irritation after a gym session quickly spiraled into a nightmare involving “82 doctor visits, traveling over 12,000 miles for specialized medical care, thousands of dollars in compounded eye drops, and one surgery.”

The culprit? A rare and severe infection known as Acanthamoeba Keratitis (AK), which she contracted while 34 weeks pregnant. “After two weeks of doctor visits, I was finally referred to the most incredible eye doctor in Austin, and he diagnosed me with the worst infection you can get in your eye,” she recalls.

These amoebae, commonly found in nearly all water sources, can penetrate the cornea and may lead to blindness or even loss of the eye. She reflects, “I had been wearing contacts since I was 12 and was never told not to swim, shower, or use a hot tub while wearing them.”

“Please spread the word by sharing this with all your friends who wear contacts,” she urges.

The stories of these two beautiful and incredibly strong women serve as a stark reminder that even the most ordinary activities and objects can pose hidden dangers.

The heroine of our other article, Turia Pitt, survived a deadly fire and has embraced a new chapter in her life, supported by the love of her husband.