24-Year-Old Loses Eye After 'Freak Accident' from Retractable Dog Leash Leaves Face 'Caved In' (Exclusive)

• Daniella Abreu was blinded after her dog’s leash snapped and hit her in the eye
• The 24-year-old talks about her painful accident and the year-long road to recovery
• She now uses her TikTok to share her story and raise awareness about the dangers of retractable leashes

A Florida woman is issuing a warning after she was involved in a freak accident while walking her dog – and lost an eye.

August 7, 2023 Daniella Abreu was getting ready for a nighttime walk with her 60 lb. dog. a husky named Blu. Because of Blu’s size, Abre preferred a rope leash for walks. But that night she was too worn out so she grabbed an old retractable leash and left the house.

While walking in her neighborhood in Stuart, Florida, Blu saw a rabbit and suddenly lunged at it. Abreu gripped the leash tightly and pulled away, trying to keep Blu under control.

“As he was running in one direction and I was pulling him the other way, the friction of the cord just snapped and bounced off me, hitting me right in the eye,” the 24-year-old medical assistant tells PEOPLE. “It happened so fast, but I knew right away it was bad. The force of the cord was so traumatic.”

Daniella Abreu and her dog Blu.

Daniella Abreu

Never miss a story — subscribe to PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

The handle of the retractable leash hit Abrea in the right eye and her face began to gush blood.

“There was so much blood. I thought I had lost an eye completely, so flight or fight mode kicked in and I was able to run home. I ran inside screaming. Mom came to me first and I just fell into her arms and turned very pale,” she recalls. “My dad, oh my God, his face was so scared and terrified.”

“While it may not have been a life or death situation, I obviously didn’t know at the time. I knew it was a pretty tough situation. I was losing a lot of blood and in the end I just passed out,” she continues. “All the shock that went through my body just overpowered the feeling.”

Daniella Abreu after injury.

Daniella Abreu

Washington woman warns Halloween contact lenses nearly left her blind: ‘nightmare’

Abreu’s parents called 911 and she was taken an hour away to a level one trauma center in Fort Pierce due to the severity of her injuries. She suffered a fracture under her eye, retinal detachment, and her eyelid was open. Abreu says her face looked “sunken in” and there was a lot of bone damage around her eye.

After X-rays, doctors sewed up her eyelid. Then the adrenaline subsided and the pain finally subsided.

“The pain was 10 out of 10. I started crying hysterically because it was so bad,” she says.

Abre was also told he needed emergency surgery that would require a transfer to another hospital in Miami. At that moment, she was “preparing for the worst”.

Daniella Abreu.

Daniella Abreu

After waking up from the surgery, Abreu was told that she was permanently blind in her right eye and that there was no way to save her sight. She would have a long road to recovery that required additional surgeries to allow the rest of her face to heal.

“Even today, I don’t believe it’s true,” she admits. “I had to put my whole life on hold. I went from being a super active girl — on a competitive dance team, working out on the side, working full time — and basically had to take a year off my life.”

The PEOPLE Puzzler has arrived! How fast can you solve it? Play now!

Daniella Abreu.

Daniella Abreu

Abreu underwent four surgeries and doctors confirmed that the damage to her right eye was so severe that it had to be removed.

For the first few months after the accident, Abreu says she was bedridden. She often slept, not only to heal but also to grieve.

She struggled with the side effects of the accident, including severe migraines, PTSD, anxiety and panic attacks. Eventually, she started seeing a therapist.

“I basically had to relearn everything,” she explains. “When you have both eyes, you are used to opening them at the same time. But my right eye was sewn close so I gradually had to learn how to open only the left eye, which was difficult and caused me even more pain.”

Daniella Abreu after the accident.

Daniella Abreu

Influencer hospitalized after electrocution in ‘freak accident’ on vacation: ‘Lucky to be alive’

After the last surgery in June, Abre was fitted with an eye prosthesis, which she received in August. It will need to be replaced every three to five years. Although it’s an adjustment, she’s glad to be a little more like herself.

“I’m fine, but I still feel very insecure about a lot of things,” she says. “I don’t like the movement of my prosthesis, the range of motion is very limited. I still wear a lot of sunglasses wherever I go because I’m embarrassed by the way it looks.”

Daniella Abreu with her prosthetic eye.

Daniella Abreu

Theo Campbell from the series ‘The Challenge’ went blind in one eye after an accident with a champagne cork

Abreu also deals with vertigo and struggles with distance vision. However, her confidence slowly returns as she adjusts to the new norm.

Abreu has since shared her story on TikTok, and now uses the platform to connect with others with similar injuries. She also stresses the importance of using rope leashes instead of retractable ones — regardless of dog size.

“I had a lot of people reach out to me, and I realized that there is a whole community of people with one eye, not even because of freak accidents, but for various other reasons,” she tells PEOPLE. “It also felt good to talk about it and spread awareness.”

She adds: “It’s changed my life and I’m just trying to learn how to deal with it.”

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education