A woman who was involved in an accident that led to her losing her eye has issued an urgent warning to others.
Daniella Abreu, a 24-year-old medical assistant from Stuart, Florida, was out for an evening walk with her 60-pound husky, Blu, on August 7, 2023.
That night, her usual leash was too frayed, prompting her to use an old retractable leash—a decision that would change her life forever.
As they walked through her neighborhood, Blu suddenly lunged after a rabbit. Abreu tried to control her dog by pulling back on the leash, but it snapped, recoiling violently and hitting her directly in the right eye.
"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."
Bleeding and partially blinded, Abreu described the chaotic moments that followed.
"There was so much blood," she recalled. "I thought I completely lost my eye, so my fight-or-flight mode kicked in and I was able to run home. I ran inside screaming."
Her parents rushed to her aid, with her father visibly terrified.
"Even though it may not have been a life-or-death situation at that moment, I obviously didn't know," she explained. "I was losing a lot of blood, and eventually, I just passed out."
Abreu was rushed to a trauma center in Fort Pierce, about an hour away, where doctors discovered she had suffered multiple severe injuries, including a fractured bone beneath her eye, a detached retina, and a torn eyelid.
X-rays confirmed significant trauma to the bones surrounding her eye, and she was in urgent need of surgery.
The severity of her injuries required Abreu to be transferred to Miami for emergency surgery. "I was preparing myself for the worst," she said.
After the operation, Abreu received the devastating news that she was permanently blind in her right eye.
Despite several more surgeries over the following year, her vision could not be restored, and doctors had to remove her damaged eye.
"I still don't believe it's true," she said. "I had to put my entire life on pause."
Once an active dancer and full-time medical assistant, she was bedridden, sleeping often to cope with the physical and emotional toll of her injuries.
She experienced migraines, anxiety, and panic attacks, and was diagnosed with PTSD. Eventually, she sought therapy to help her navigate her new reality.
"I had to basically relearn everything," she shared. "When you have both eyes, you're used to opening them at the same time. But my right eye was stitched closed, so I had to gradually learn how to only open my left eye, which caused more pain."
In June 2024, Abreu was fitted with a prosthetic eye, which must be replaced every three to five years.
While the prosthetic restored some sense of normalcy, she admitted she still struggles with insecurity. "I don't like the movement of my prosthetic," she said.
"The range of motion is very limited, and I still wear a lot of sunglasses everywhere I go because I'm so embarrassed by how it looks."
Despite her challenges, Abreu has found solace in sharing her journey on TikTok, where she connects with others who have suffered similar injuries.
With over 125,700 followers, her platform allows her to spread awareness about the dangers of retractable leashes and offer support to those dealing with life-changing injuries.
"I've had a lot of people reach out, and it made me realize there's a whole community of people who have one eye, not even due to just freak accidents, but various other reasons," she said.
"It also made me feel good to talk about it and spread awareness."
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