A mum, whose daughter gouged her own eyes out while she was ‘high on methamphetamine’, has warned parents to be vigilant if they suspect their children are using drugs.
Katy Tompkins’ daughter, Kaylee Muthart, was discovered outside a church in Anderson, South Carolina, on February 6.
The 20-year-old was found gouging out both of her eyes with her own hands while in a drug-induced hallucination.
Kaylee, who’d fought off help for some time, was flown to the trauma unit at Greenville Memorial Hospital, where doctors ‘worked to clean what was left inside her orbital sockets to prevent infection’, writes PEOPLE.
When her mum arrived, doctors told her Kaylee was completely blind and Katy revealed:
That was a struggle, I can’t even explain that feeling when I found out, it was horrifying. Complete terror. I was thankful she was alive, but I knew something was wrong with her.
Katy said Kaylee started using methamphetamine about six months earlier.
Doctors believe Kaylee used meth – which was more than likely laced with another chemical on the day of the incident – which caused her to have hallucinations. She said she’d heard voices telling her to ‘sacrifice her eyes’ in order to make it to heaven.
Katy added:
She’s been doing wonderfully. Each day at a time, she just gets a little better and better. She’s getting all different kinds of treatment, but she’s going to have to relearn everything. It’s like she’s almost starting life over again.
I still haven’t grasped it yet. I can hardly look at her pictures right now, and I can’t think of her not being able to see. I don’t like the dark, and I think, ‘Oh my gosh, that poor thing will always be in the dark’.
This is something you never think is going to happen to you, but it did. A lot of the mothers I talked to have kids that have been addicted to heroin for 10, 15 years and I’m like, ‘How did you get through it?’ My daughter was doing it for six months and it literally tore me up.
Kaylee remains in hospital, while doctors administer antibiotic drops to ‘keep her eyelids moistened’ – they’ve also recommended prosthetic eyes to preserve Kaylee’s facial structure and keep bacteria out of the cavities.
Once she’s released from hospital, Kaylee will move back in with her mother to help her adjust to life without sight.
A GoFundMe page has now been set up to raise money to pay for a seeing-eye dog, which, at the time of writing, has reached $7,200 of an $8,000 target.
Katy continues to provide updates on the page, which reads:
My daughter was involved in a tragic incident that has left her permantently blind. We have started a GoFundMe to rasie funds to get her a service dog.
Like so many, she fell victim to the dangerous reality of methamphetamine. As we prepare for the long road to getting her situated in her new life we are asking for your help. The journey will no doubt require many things to allow her to live a full life.
But if Kaylee’s story can help just one person, something good can come of this tragedy in our family. We are truly grateful for all the prayers and help we’ve received thus far and ask that you give whatever you can and continue to pray for us.
The sooner we can provide Kaylee with a service dog, the sooner we can help her get back on her feet. God Bless.
If you want to discuss any issues relating to drugs in confidence, contact FRANK on 0300 123 6600 for advice and support.
