Kaylee Muthart, a young woman from Anderson, South Carolina, shocked the world when she ripped out her own eyes. At 17, Kaylee was a bright student, excelling in school and active in the National Honor Society. However, life took a difficult turn when she left school midway through eleventh grade due to health issues and the need to work long shifts to save up for a car.
By the time Kaylee turned 18, she started drinking and smoking weed regularly. Addiction ran in her family, but she avoided harder drugs. One day at 19, after smoking weed with a friend, she experienced a high that felt different, leading her to believe the weed had been laced with other drugs. This experience triggered her to distance herself from her friend and quit her job, but she never returned to school.
As time passed, Kaylee struggled with depression and loneliness. She started using Xanax to cope and later turned to meth. After using it for the first time, she began hallucinating and compulsively picking at her skin. Soon, she became more involved in using meth, even shooting it on her own. Her attempts to quit failed, despite her mother’s efforts to get her help.
At one point, Kaylee bought a large dose of meth, and the following morning, while still hallucinating, she found herself on a railroad track. In a moment of confusion, she believed she needed to sacrifice something to make the world right. She then used her hands to gouge out her eyes, believing it was necessary.
A pastor nearby heard her cries and stopped her from causing further harm. Emergency responders took her to the hospital, where doctors removed what was left of her eyes. Kaylee was later diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and though adjusting to life without sight has been difficult, she is hopeful for the future and still dreams of becoming a marine biologist.
