A WOMAN is issuing a warning after her year-long recovery from a freak accident that caused her to lose her eye during a routine chore.
Daniella Abreu, 24, went blind when her dog’s leash snapped and hit her face while she was walking her husky in her neighborhood of Stuart, Florida, which is about an hour’s drive from Palm Beach.
Daniella Abreu sharing about the aftermath of her freak accident on TikTok[/caption]
Abreu showing her recovery process with her prosthetic eye on TikTok[/caption]
The retractable leash that left Abreu blind in her right eye[/caption]
The medical assistant took her dog, a 60-pound husky named Blu, on a nighttime walk on August 7, 2023.
Abreu chose to use a retractable leash for the walk instead of her usual rope leash and didn’t think anything of the decision.
“I have originally always used rope leashes,” Abreu told The U.S. Sun, explaining that she only used the retractable leash on the day of the accident.
While on the walk, Blu lunged toward a rabbit and yanked Abreu forward, causing her to pull the leash back to try to keep the dog in control.
In an instant, Abreu’s life was then changed forever.
“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,” Abreu told People.
“It happened so fast but I knew it was bad immediately. The force of the leash was so traumatic.”
Abreu said blood gushed out of her right eye while she rushed to get to her house, where she lives with her parents.
“There was so much blood. I thought I completely lost my eye, so my flight or fight mode kicked in and I was able to run home,” she told the outlet.
“I ran inside screaming. My mom got to me first and I just fell into her arms and got really pale. My dad, oh my goodness, his face was so frightened and terrified.”
She eventually fainted because of the pain.
“Even though it may not have been a life or death situation, at that moment I obviously didn’t know. I knew it was a pretty severe situation though,” she said.
“I was losing a lot of blood and eventually I just passed out. All the shock going through my body just overpowered the feeling.”
Abreu was taken to a level-one trauma center, where it was revealed she suffered a split eyelid, a fracture underneath her eye, and a retina detachment.
Timeline of Daniella Abreu’s recovery
Daniella Abreu, 24, lost her eye after her dog’s retractable leash hit her in the eye.
August 7, 2023 – Daniella Abreu suffers a freak accident and is taken to a level-one trauma center. She learns that she suffered a fracture under her eye, a retina detachment, and her eyelid was split open. She soon learns that she’s gone permanently blind in her right eye.
June 2024 – Abreu goes through her fourth surgery and is fitted for a prosthetic eye
August 2024 – Abreu gets a prosthetic eye, which will need to be replaced every three to five years
When she woke up, Abreu said her face looked “caved in” – and the pain was overwhelming.
“The pain was a 10 out of 10. I started hysterically crying because it was so bad,” she said.
After emergency surgery at a hospital in Miami, doctors told Abreu that she was permanently blind in her right eye.
“Even to this day, I still don’t believe it’s true,” Abreu said.
“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.”
After multiple surgeries, doctors decided to remove Abreu’s eye because the damage was so severe.
In August, she got a prosthetic eye that will need to be replaced every three to five years.
YEAR-LONG RECOVERY
Abreu, who has taken her story to TikTok, said her road to recovery was difficult.
“I had to basically relearn everything,” she explained.
“When you have both eyes, you’re used to opening them at the same time.
“But my right eye was stitched close so I had to gradually learn how to only open my left eye, which was straining and it caused me more pain.”
On TikTok, Abreu has issued multiple warnings to dog owners to always use rope leashes instead of retractable leashes, no matter the size of the dog, to avoid a freak accident like what happened to her.
“My life in a way now feels so normal,” Abreu told The U.S. Sun.
“After a year of hardships I am at peace with my reality and have accepted what my current situation is. It doesn’t need to be perfect I just need to be happy and that’s what I am now.
“Although I miss being able to see through two eyes and being completely healthy, I understand that I had to go through this to share my testimony with people who are going through a similar situation,” she said.
Abreu shares about her recovery on her TikTok account[/caption]
