Kaylee Muthart, a young woman from South Carolina, recounted the horrifying details of an incident in 2018 when she tore out her own eyes while under the influence of drugs. At just 20 years old, Muthart was grappling with addiction, mental health struggles, and a recent breakup. She believed she had to “sacrifice something important to right the world.” Outside a church, she hallucinated that everyone would die if she didn’t act and proceeded to remove her own eyes with her fingers, a memory she describes as both vivid and fuzzy.
A pastor at the scene recalled her holding her squished but still-attached eyeballs in her hands while shouting, “I want to see the light.” Despite the severe trauma, this life-altering event became a turning point for Muthart, who subsequently entered rehab, received prosthetic eyes in 2020, and began rebuilding her life by attending a school for the blind and working in a restaurant.
Diagnosed with bipolar disorder, Muthart explained that her actions felt like an out-of-body experience. She described the physical struggle, saying the drugs dulled the pain but not the effort it took to pull her eyes from their sockets. Reflecting on her life now, she often wonders what could have been different but tries not to dwell on the past.
Muthart’s story is a sobering reminder of the dangers of drug abuse and the profound mental health challenges some face. Her journey of recovery and resilience offers hope despite the irreversible consequences of her actions.
